November 15, 2024: Isaiah 49:13 - The Lord hath Comforted His People

“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” - Isaiah 49:13

There is coming a day when the heavens will sing, the earth will be joyful, and the mountains will break forth into singing, and it will happen after the entire world experiences great tribulation for a period of seven years, the time of Jacob’s trouble, a time that I truly believe is drawing oh, so near. At the end of that period, Jesus will come to earth a second time, will restore the remnant of Israel that He Himself will preserve, and He will gather them in their land, but this time, they will be gathered in belief in Jesus as their Messiah. It is at this time that Jesus will finally rule the kingdoms of the world with a rod of iron and with righteousness. It is at this time that peace will be upon the earth, including peace between mankind and the animal kingdom.

The children of God, we who have been born again by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to redeem us of our sins, will be united in our faith with the Jewish believers. No longer will there be separation between Jew and Gentile:

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile, non-Jew], there is neither bond [slave] nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)

“But as many as received him [Jesus Christ], to them gave he power to become the sons [children] of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

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

However, before that happens, two thirds of the Jewish people will die during the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble and will not turn to Jesus as their Savior. The surviving remnant will feel as they have been forsaken by God. As we will read in the latter part of Isaiah 49, God will show them that He has not left them, that He has not forgotten them. For their many children whom they have lost, God will give them new children, children of the Gentiles. These children will also have been born again by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and they will come to them in the land of Israel, and the glory of the Lord will be revealed.

WHEN ALL CREATION BEGAN TO GROWN

Before this happens though, the whole earth will continue to groan, as it has since sin began in the world with Adam and Eve. In this devotional, I am going to take a deep-dive into God’s word, for I truly believe that we are so very close to the rapture of the church, when Jesus calls up all who have been born again by His precious blood, both the dead and the living, to Himself in the clouds and He opens the first of the seven seals of the scroll, beginning the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble. If you are not one to take the time to read lengthy devotionals, this devotional is not for you. I am not writing this devotional to appease any human being, but am doing my best to listen to and obey the directing of the Holy Spirit. Some people are good at writing at the macro level. I am not one of those people. I am all about the details, and I have delved deep into the word of God to study and understand today’s Scripture verse, and the result is a very long devotional. Now, for anyone willing to read, let’s begin our deep dive into God’s word.

The groaning is happening because this world is not how God intended it to be, free from sin, and enjoying eternal life with Him. Prior to the fall, God provided everything that mankind would need to live with God in the Garden of Eden:

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat [food].” (Genesis 1:29)

“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress [tend or cultivate] it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17)

God also provided all of the food that would be eaten by all the animals of the earth:

“And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat [food]: and it was so.” (Genesis 1:30)

It was only after Adam and Eve sinned when they ate of the fruit of the one tree from which God forbade them to eat, that an animal’s blood was spilled and the animal’s skin provided coverings for Adam and Eve when after their sin they realized that they were naked and wanted to hide their nakedness from God:

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats [tunics] of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)

The Bible tells us that blood is a requirement for forgiveness of sins:

“And almost all things are by the law purged [cleansed] with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness].” (Hebrews 9:22)

Ever since sin happened in the garden, life has been a struggle. After Eve was deceived by the serpent, Satan, and Adam committed sin and disobeyed God’s commandment to him and listened instead to his wife and ate the fruit, God told Adam that He would no longer make it easy for him to sustain himself and most importantly, that he (and Eve) would die. After they sinned, God told Adam that he - and all future generations - would need to provide for themselves, and it would be a struggle until they would eventually die and their bodies would be returned to the earth:

“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow [toll] shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 17-19)

God also told Eve that life would not be easy for her either because of her sins against Him:

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow [pain] and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Genesis 3:16)

WHEN ANIMALS BECAME FOOD FOR MANKIND

Many years later, God sent the flood upon the entire earth to destroy everything upon the earth because the sons of God, of whom many people believe were fallen angels, had had sexual intercourse with human women, who bore children that were giants and had corrupted every one and everything except for Noah and his family:

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive [abide] with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination [intent or thought] of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD [the LORD was sorry] that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me [I am sorry] that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations: Noah was a just man and perfect [blameless] in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:1-9)

The Lord God did send the flood and destroyed everything except Noah and his seven family members. After the flood, God told Noah that the animals would become food for mankind, and they would fear mankind:

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat [food] for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” (Genesis 9:1-3)

With Adam’s fall because of his sin, which was passed to every single human being born from him - all of mankind - no longer has the earth lived in peace and harmony with mankind, as it once did with Adam and Eve, who were banished from the garden (Genesis 3:22-24) because of their sins against God. God’s creation, the earth and all that is in it, will not live in peace and harmony with mankind until Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, returns to earth, puts an end to wickedness, and reigns in righteousness, for there can be no peace as long as sin abounds; the two are incompatible with each other.

The Bible tells us that God’s creation longs for such a time that God will deliver it from the bondage of mankind’s sin and corruption, a time when God will destroy will sin. The creation longs for the coming time when Jesus Christ will reign in righteousness, and He will dwell with His children, those who are called sons of God, for eternity. There is coming a time when Jesus will finally destroy Satan and cast him into the eternal lake of fire, and sin will never exist again. Jesus will destroy the current heavens and earth and will create a new heaven and a new earth, upon which only the children of God will abide; all nonbelievers will be tried and found guilty of their sins and will spend their eternity in the lake of fire. Let us read some Scriptures that relate to the groaning of the earth. We who are believers in Jesus Christ also have an inner longing for Jesus to come and put an end to sin:

“How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they [the wicked] said, He shall not see our last [final] end?” (Jeremiah 12:4)

“For the earnest expectation of the creature [God’s creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature [creation] was made subject to vanity [futility], not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption [decay] into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:19-23)

Though we are not to worship the creation - the earth, heavens, and the sea and all that is in them - and are to worship the Creator, we are to take care of His creation and not seek to destroy it. The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation, which describes the coming judgments that God will send to earth because of its rebellion against Him and because of mankind’s near wholesale rejection of Jesus Christ, that when Jesus comes the second time, He will destroy those who destroy the earth. Are we not seeing in our world today powerful people who are destroying the earth for reasons of further expanding their wealth and power and to control people and bring destruction upon many? The force behind these people, whether they know it or not, is Satan. Satan hates God, and he hates mankind, for humans are the only creation of God that was made in His image. Satan has done, and is continuing to do, all that he can to destroy mankind, and that includes destroying the perfect ecosystem that God created in order to sustain human life:

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:18)

SATAN THE DECEIVER

The whole focus of today’s Scripture verse is God’s people, the nation of Israel, whom God refers to as “his afflicted.” Let us return to the book of Genesis and read about when their affliction first began, which was after Eve was deceived by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit and when Adam disobeyed God and decided to listen to his wife instead and he too ate the fruit. Let us read what God afterwards told the serpent:

“And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled [deceived] me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [he] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:13-15)

Before Eve and then Adam ate the fruit that God had commanded them not to eat, Satan already had hatred for mankind in his heart. He knowingly deceived Eve, causing her to question what God had told her husband, and flat out telling her a lie that they would not die if they did eat of the fruit:

“Now the serpent was more subtil [cunning] than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not sure die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)

It is beyond the shadow of a doubt that Satan had no good intentions toward Eve when he deceived her and told her a lie that if she ate the fruit, she would not die, and even went further than that and told her, “and ye shall be as gods.” Instead of obeying what God had told her husband, Eve listened to the serpent and ate the fruit. She then gave the fruit to her husband Adam, who also ate it, and eventually they died. Let us read what Jesus told His disciples about the thief, meaning Satan, and his intentions and compare them to the intentions of Jesus:

“The thief cometh not, but for [except] to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:10)

Let us also read what Jesus the scribes and the Pharisees who sought to kill Him because He told them the truth of who He is and they rejected the truth:

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode [stands] not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth [convicts] me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (Jesus Christ; John 8:44-47)

Let us read Genesis 3:15 again, for it contains a prophecy of Jesus Christ:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [he] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

God told Satan that he would put enmity between him and the woman. “Enmity” is a mutual hatred or ill will. Merriam-webster.com states:

Enmity (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed.

God also said that Satan would be at war with the seed, meaning offspring, of the woman. As many have noted before me, notice that God says “between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” However, women do not have seed, which is another term for sperm, but have eggs. Thus, this has a double meaning in that Satan would be at war with both humans that would descend from Eve, but also specifically Satan would be at war with her seed who would bruise Satan’s head, meaning He would crush Satan. Jesus was not conceived in the ordinary way that humans are conceived, where the human father provides the seed and the mother provides the egg. No, Jesus’ mother Mary was a virgin, and she conceived Jesus Christ not from the seed of a human man but from the seed of Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-35). As Genesis 3:15 states, Satan and his seed, meaning those who follow him, who choose to align themselves with him and against God, have been at war with Jesus Christ, even before He was born of Mary, sent as a man, having left His throne in heaven, to offer the way of salvation from sins, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Satan did all that he could to prevent Jesus’ first coming, and Satan failed. Satan thought that when he convinced the Jews to have Jesus crucified, when Satan bruised His heel when the nail was put through Jesus’ heels and Jesus died, that that would be the end of Jesus. But Satan failed again when Jesus rose again from the grave, for Jesus had defeated death. There is coming a day when Jesus will come again a second time, and He will bruise Satan’s head, crushing him and will end his reign of terror, forever. I will discuss this later in today’s devotional.

Fast forward since the time of Adam and Eve to our world today, and we can see that Satan is still tempting mankind, telling them his sweet little lies that tickle peoples’ ears. Billions of people are still believing them, to their own eternal peril, if they do not ask God for forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ in their heart as their Savior. Have you heard of Yuval Noah Herari? He is an Israeli historian, lecturer, philosopher, and author, and he is believing the lies of Satan, just as Eve and Adam did. Let us read some of what he has written about humanity and its future (See: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Our-Nonconscious-Future-2119857; Harari, Y. Noah. "Our Nonconscious Future." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 19, 2021):

“Within the next century or two, we humans are likely to upgrade ourselves into gods and change the most basic principles of the evolution of life. Traditional mythologies depicted gods as powerful beings that could design and create life according to their wishes. In the coming two centuries we will probably learn how to engineer and manufacture various life forms according to our wishes.”

“In the next two centuries, however, science could be ushering in the era of inorganic life shaped by intelligent design. Not the intelligent design of some god above the clouds—but our intelligent design and the intelligent design of our cloud computing.”

GOD SPEAKS TO SINFUL MEN BUT ALSO TO THE SOURCE OF THEIR SIN: SATAN

In the Bible, there are times when God is addressing specific men, but through those men, He is also speaking to the source of their evil ways, which is Satan. I believe in many cases, while God is addressing the things which then were shortly yet to come, He is also speaking a prophecy of things yet to come, often far into the future. Let us read three of these times: Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, and Matthew 16:23.

When God Spoke to Satan Through the King of Babylon

The first is in Isaiah 14, when after God tells us that He will have mercy on Israel and put them back again in their own land, freeing them from their oppressors, He takes up a proverb against the king of Babylon. Before I discuss Isaiah 14, let us remember where Babylon originated. Babylon, the epitome of rebellion against God by man, began with the man named Nimrod in Babel. After all of the earth had been corrupted except for the man named Noah and his seven family members, God sent the great flood to destroy all of mankind and all the beasts, birds, and creeping things on the earth, for they all had been corrupted. God saved Noah and his family and all the animals He had told Noah to bring with him on the ark. After the flood, God told Noah to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [fill] the earth (Genesis 9:1). God also made a covenant with Noah, telling him:

“And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow [rainbow] in the cloud and it shall be a token [sign] of a covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:11-13)

Noah did as God commanded him, and he began to repopulate the earth and had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. His son Ham had sons, one of whom was Cush. Cush had sons, one of whom was Nimrod. Of Nimrod, the Bible tells us:

“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accede, and Caineh, in the land of Shiner.” (Genesis 10:8-10)

Genesis 10:11 also tells us that Nimrod built Nineveh, an extremely wicked city in Assyria. Genesis 11 then tells us that at that time, everyone alive on earth spoke one language, and they all came to the land of Shinar and lived there. Let us read what happened next:

“And they said one to another, Go to [come], let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime [asphalt] for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:3-4)

The people in Babel were in clear disobedience of God’s commandments to Noah. Instead of spreading across the earth to fill it with people, they all gathered together in a single city. Instead of wanting to give God the glory and instead of praising His name, they wanted to make a name for themselves, to give themselves the glory, and they built a high tower. Perhaps they built a high tower thinking that if God ever sent anything like the flood He had sent years before, that they could escape God’s wrath. If they believed God’s promise to mankind that He would never destroy the earth again by a flood, they would not have built a high tower. They also spoke the same language, making it easy to communicate their disobedience to each other. Let us read God’s response to their disobedience:

“And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined [propose] to do. Go to, [come], let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon [over] the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel [confusion]; because the LORD did there confound [confuse] the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon [over] the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:5-9)

God knew that if the people were unified and centralized in their disobedience to Him, their sin would be left unrestrained, and likely would destroy mankind. Consequently, He caused them not to understand their single language and spread them across the earth. It is no coincidence that rich and powerful people - globalists - in our world today are pushing people to live in very large, “15-minute cities,” instead of living all across the world, as God commanded us to do. It is no coincidence that technology, including now artificial intelligence (AI), is being utilized to allow people of all languages to communicate with one another.

In Genesis 11, we have the first instance of Babel, from which would come the rich and powerful nation of Babylon that would take the people of Judah captive for 70 years, and from which will come what is described in chapter 17 of the book of Revelation as “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” I will discuss this mystery, Babylon in detail in this devotional message, and the possibility that the United States of America is this Babylon the Great. For now, let me give one reason why I believe this. Let us look at the connection to the sign of the covenant that God made after the flood, when He said to Noah, “This is the token [sign] of the covenant, which I have established between me and all the flesh that is upon the earth,” and that sign was the rainbow, which had never appeared on earth prior to the great flood. The USA has taken that beautiful sign, the rainbow, and has made a complete abomination of it when, beginning in 1978 in San Francisco, it began being used as a symbol of the LGBT pride flag, and is used today, more than ever before. America has spread this abomination across the world to represent its pride in its sin. The flag has undergone several transformations, including decreasing the number of colors on the flag from eight to six. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBTQ)). It is no coincidence that the number six represents the number of man and that the flag is known as the “pride flag.” In their pride and sin, the people of Babel disobeyed God and sought to seek a name for themselves, just as is being done today. Let us remember what God’s word tells us about pride:

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil [plunder] with the proud.” (Proverbs 16:18-19)

“Haughty” is defined by merriam-webster.com as “blatantly and disdainfully proud : having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior.” If that doesn’t describe this sinful movement in the USA perfectly, I don’t know what does.

Now, let us read the words that Isaiah spoke to the king of Babylon. Though this proverb is spoken against the king of Babylon, I believe God is speaking to Satan, the one who fueled the hatred of the king of Babylon at that time. I also believe that God is also speaking to the future mystery Babylon that is discussed in the book of Revelation, when the final antichrist, whom I believe is referred to as “the Assyrian” in Isaiah 14:25, will be the final evil ruler on earth that will be indwelled by Satan, before the second coming of Christ. It is Jesus Himself who will break the staff of the wicked and will cast Satan into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years:

“For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hast the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller [woodsman] is come up against us.” (Isaiah 14:1-8)

Let us pay particular attention to that last part of the Scriptures above. It is only when he who once ruled the nations in anger, meaning Satan/Devil/Lucifer, is persecuted. This has not happened yet but will happen when he is cast by an angel into hell, also called the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3), after Jesus Christ returns to earth at His second coming. It is only when Jesus will destroy all wicked men upon the earth and will reign in righteousness for 1,000 years (Revelation 19) that the whole earth will be at rest and will rejoice. Let us continue reading from Isaiah 14:

“Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols [harps or lutes]: the worm [maggot] is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend to heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:9-14)

Let us discus the verses above. I believe this description of a man goes far further than the king of Babylon. I believe these verses also have a connection to Ezekiel 28, when the prophet Ezekiel addressed the king of Tyrus, also called Tyre, in a similar manner that Isaiah prophesied to the king of Babylon. I will include passages of that chapter later in today’s devotional. The main reason I believe these Scriptures from Isaiah are not referring to the king of Babylon but to Satan is because the king of Babylon did not fall from heaven because he was never in heaven, but Lucifer/Satan did fall when he was cast out of heaven. Jesus Himself saw Satan’s fall and told seventy of His disciples about it. We also read about this in the book of Revelation chapter 12 that when Satan was cast out, he took his angels, those who opposed God, with him:

“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils [demons] are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lighting fall from heaven.” (Luke 10:17-18)

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon [Satan]: and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)

Is it any wonder that we see images of dragons and serpents all around the world? It is because Satan is full of pride and wants the world to worship him instead of God. He has been deceiving people since mankind began. Instead of worshipping God, many people have worshipped Satan and have made and placed images of dragons and serpents all over the world.

Let us continue reading what God has to say about the future of Satan, the one who is full of pride and who hates God and who hates those who believe in Him. I must admit that I do not understand the true meaning of all the Scriptures below, but I am absolutely convinced that their far fulfillment refers to the final end of Satan and all who follow him. I am doing my best to understand the Scriptures through the guiding of the Holy Spirit. I will discuss these Scriptures later in this devotional. Continuing in Isaiah 14:

“Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides [lowest depths] of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment [garment] of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned [named]. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son [offspring], and nephew [posterity], saith the LORD. I will also make it a possession for the bittern [porcupine], and pools of water [marshes]: and I will sweep it with the besom [broom] of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden [oracle or prophecy].” (Isaiah 14:15-28)

When God Spoke to Satan Through the King of Tyrus (Tyre)

Now, let us read the second example of when God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel to a man, the king of Tyrus/Tyre, but He was also more importantly addressing the source of his evil ways, who was Satan. Tyrus was king in a nation that eerily sounds a lot like the United States today. The king of Tyrus, like many world rulers today, lived in abundance and pride and believed that he was a god. He sounds a lot like Yuval Noah Harari and also many others today who believe like him. Let us read first the words of God that I believe were directed to the king/prince of Tyrus, who clearly was being led by Satan and worshipped him, for no man who worships Almighty God will believe that he himself is a God:

“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up [proud], and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: with thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: by thy great wisdom and by thy traffick [in trade] hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore will I bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness [splendour]. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 28:1-10)

Of Tyrus/Tyre, gotquestions.org writes something that perfectly describes America today (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/King-of-Tyre.html):

“Tyre was a center of religious idolatry and sexual immorality. The biblical prophets rebuked Tyre for its pride brought on by its great wealth and strategic location. Ezekiel 28:11–19 seems to be a particularly strong indictment against the king of Tyre in the prophet Ezekiel’s day, rebuking the king for his insatiable pride and greed.”

Is America experiencing now what Tyrus experienced then, when the prophet Ezekiel said, “Behold, therefore will I bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness [splendour].” Is the mass illegal migration of other countries that have flooded into the USA over the years going to result in doom for America? And/or will America be invaded a conquering nation that destroys it? Time will tell.

Isaiah’s prophecies of the future of Tyre did come to pass, and per gotquestions.org, “Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585–572 BC. Alexander the Great conquered Tyre in 322 BC, completely destroying the city.” (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/Tyre-and-Sidon.html)

Now, let us read the words of God, as spoken through the prophet Ezekiel, that I believe were addressed to Satan:

“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty [were the seal of perfection]. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise [trading] they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up [proud] because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness [splendour]: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick [trading]; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror [horror], and never shalt thou be any more.” (Ezekiel 28:11-19)

The primary reason I believe this passage of Scripture is referring to Satan and not the king of Tyrus is because it states, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God” (Ezekiel 28:13). It was Satan, the serpent, that was in the garden of Eden and not the king of Tyrus. It was Satan and not the king of Tyrus that was the anointed cherub, whom God made perfect in beauty and adorned with every precious stone. God also gave Satan and not the king of Tyrus musical ability with timbrels and pipes (Ezekiel 28:13). Verse 13 also tells us that Satan is a created being, and unlike Jesus Christ, Satan did not always exist. Jesus tells us in Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Ezekiel 28:15 tells us, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Tyrus was not perfect from the day he was created because ever since Adam sinned by disobeying God the Father’s command, all human beings born from that time forward are born with sin, including Tyrus. Satan was created perfect by God, but because of his sin - his pride in wanting to be God - he was cast out of heaven to earth, where he still rules today. For anyone who may not believe that he rules this earth, let us read what Satan told Jesus when Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and Satan tempted Him:

“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power [authority] will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” (Luke 4:5-7)

Let us read Jesus’ reply to Satan:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:8)

Notice that Jesus did not deny that Satan has all authority/power over all the kingdoms of the world or that Satan has the authority to give power to others. Jesus clearly shows us that it is not He who currently rules the world but it is Satan. However, as the Bible tells us, Jesus’ time to take His rightful reign over the world in righteousness is coming, and I believe it is sooner than most people think. Satan used, and still uses, people willing to worship him instead of God, and Satan enriches them and gives them knowledge, power, and authority, as he did with the king of Tyrus, and as Satan is doing in our world today with rich and powerful men and women.

Similarities Between Tyrus and the USA and Revelation’s Babylon the Great and the USA

Before continuing, let us consider what I believe are the parallels of the nation of Tyrus and the United States of America (USA). The nation of Tyrus was very wealthy and traded merchandise with many nations, just as the USA trades with many nations. However, instead of using those riches for good and instead of worshipping Almighty God, Tyrus, as America today, was lifted up in pride and worshipped money and self instead of God. I encourage you to read Ezekiel 27 and 28 and compare them to what is written in Revelation 18, which describes the whore of Babylon, and see the many similarities between not only Tyrus and the whore of Babylon, but also to America. The whore of Babylon will play a major role during the 7-year time of Jacob’s, meaning Israel’s, trouble, also known as the tribulation period, and the whore of Babylon will be destroyed by God in one hour. While I do not know with 100% certainty that America IS the whore of Babylon, I believe there are many similarities to the whore of Babylon in Revelation 18 and the USA, and also to the nation of Tyrus in how they lived in luxury and were full of fornication and abominations. If America is not this whore of Babylon, is certainly does provide a preview of her who is to come:

“For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed [have become] rich through the abundance of her delicacies [luxury].” (Revelation 18:3)

“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously [luxuriously], so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously [luxuriously] with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more…” (Revelation 18:7-11)

I don’t know of any other nation in modern history, and the whore of Babylon in the book of Revelation is about the modern times in which we live and not times of old, which has lived so luxuriously and traded with many nations, importing their merchandise and increasing those nations’ wealth, than the USA. With ports on its western, southern, and eastern coasts, in 2021 America was only second to China in the amount of container port traffic (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_container_port_traffic). However, instead of using all that wealth for good and to glorify God and to share the good news of Jesus Christ across the world, the USA has gone from the time when it worshipped Almighty God to worshipping the “almighty dollar,” and has exported its filth all across the world, corrupting many nations with its pornography, alternative lifestyles and sexual perversion, rampant promotion of abortion, drug use, never-ending wars with nations in order to maintain and increase its deprived standard of living, and the list goes on and on.

Let us read the name that God gave the whore:

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)

Revelation 17 opens by telling us of the future of this mother of harlots:

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials [bowls], 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: 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.” (Revelation 17:1-2)

In Revelation 17:3, the apostle John continues, telling us that this woman sits upon a scarlet beast. This beast is the final antichrist and is described in Revelation 13 as the beast of the sea that has seven heads and ten horns and will receive his power and authority from Satan (also called the dragon):

“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.” (Revelation 17:3)

Revelation 17:4 tells us that this whore is dressed in a manner that exudes wealth and sets her apart from many nations:

“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked [adorned] with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication…” (Revelation 17:4)

I came across a very interesting article that compares the mother of harlots to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, from which the Statue of Liberty in New York City was modeled after. While I do not know if this information is factual, it is a very interesting comparison. (See: https://www.ancientpages.com/2018/09/28/is-there-an-ancient-secret-connection-between-the-statue-of-liberty-and-the-anunnaki-goddess-inanna/)

It is interesting to me to note that ancient Tyrus (Tyre) produced purple dye, which was very rare and expensive: (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/Tyre-in-the-Bible.html)

“In ancient times, Tyre flourished as a maritime city and a busy center for commercial trade. The area’s most valuable export was its then world-famous purple dye.”

Revelation 17:15 further describes the whore:

“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Revelation 17:15)

The Scripture above from Revelation 17:15 seems to describe the USA, which has long been named as a “melting pot,” that brings together people from all over the world, representing many nations and tongues/languages. The Statue of Liberty, we are told, stands as a beacon of hope, lighting the way for the immigrants coming to America, but is there something more sinister to all of this?

For many years, America has believed it is immune from suffering because of its vast size and wealth, believing it will always life the lifestyle it has been living. Even the poor in America are wealthier than most people in other countries. America is full of pride and full of self, and I believe that one day, this will change overnight.

Revelation 18:12-13 describes all sorts of merchandise that the whore of Babylon will buy from the nations. Let us take a moment to read the last part of verse 13 that describes what else the whore of Babylon bought:

“…and slaves, and souls of men.” (Revelation 18:13)

Something that has been revealed recently is the amount of human trafficking, and particularly sexual trafficking, that is occurring all over the USA. People are being brought into America against their will and are being sold as sex slaves, including young children. America’s lust for perverted sex is insatiable. This is not only happening at America’s ports but also at America’s borders, which have been nearly left wide open for many years. There may also be a dual meaning here, where it may also mean that people, including young children, are enslaved in the countries in which the merchandise is made, such as we know is the case in China, where they are forced to make merchandise to keep costs down and the profits high.

Let us read now from the remainder of Revelation 18 that prophesies what is to happen to this whore of Babylon. Before we read, I want to emphasize again the name that we read earlier from Revelation 17:5. Read closely, it says this name is written upon her forehead:

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)

Is this an odd coincidence that Donald Trump’s campaign slogan from both his 2016 and 2024 election campaigns but also his failed 2020 campaign is “Make America Great Again,” and it was placed upon his signature red baseball cap that is displayed proudly upon the forehead? Is it an odd coincidence that Donald Trump lives in New York City in his Trump Tower’s penthouse apartment that is lavishly decorated in gold and marble, putting on full display of abundance and wealth? (See: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/president-donald-trump-melania-trump-new-york-apartment-trump-tower/) Is it an odd coincidence that the term “MAGA” is also used to denote the highest level of membership, the fifth degree, in the church of Satan? (See: https://www.churchofsatan.com/hierarchy/) PLEASE NOTE: I have been writing this devotional since October 11, 2024. Sometime between then and November 13, I discovered that this link is no longer functional. In fact, the website for the “church” is no longer on the internet. Is that another odd coincidence? However, you can access this site through an internet archives site called “Wayback Machine.” Here is the link: https://web.archive.org/web/20180919124338/https://www.churchofsatan.com/hierarchy/

Just recently on October 27, 2024, Elon Musk, fellow billionaire and currently the richest man in the world, came out in support of Donald Trump at Trump’s campaign event in Madison Square Gardens, saying, “I am dark gothic MAGA.” Looking at photos from the event, Trump and Musk are shown in front of crowds shown in scarlet and purple. (See: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/elon-musk-comes-out-support-trump-dark-gothic-maga-madison-square-garden Is it any wonder that Musk has aligned himself with Donald Trump? Is it any wonder that he is implementing the Starlink low earth satellite system, whose goal is to “provide global mobile broadband,” which very well may be used to provide the tracking and enforcement require to enact the mark of the beast system prophesied in Revelation 13?

Don’t get me wrong: I am neither a supporter of Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris nor any political figure. There is no human who can fix America. I do not understand how any American can truly believe that America can be great as long as it continues to life the lifestyle it has been living that is in full rejection of God and which is supported by BOTH political parties. America is not worshipping God; rather, it is worshipping everything else but God. Back when Barack Obama was running for president, there were many Americans who worshipped him as a god, and there are many now who worship Donald Trump as a god, with many church leaders lifting him up as though he were God. The only One who can fix us is Jesus Christ, and unless we accept Him in our heart as our Savior, there is no saving us.

Now, let us read of the future destruction of the whore of Babylon:

“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought [nothing]. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by the sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! and they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness [wealth]! for in one hour is she made desolate [a wasteland].” (Revelation 18:15-19)

Isn’t is fitting that in the financial district of Manhattan in New York City that on December 20, 1989 the charging bull, also called the “Bull of Wall Street” was placed to represent the “the symbol of financial optimism and prosperity?” (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charging_Bull) The bull has long been worshipped by sinful mankind, beginning after Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt. When God called Moses up to the mountain to give him the Ten Commandments, the people got tired of waiting for him to come down off the mountain and made a golden calf and worshipped it instead of God. Are we, too, a nation that is tired of waiting for God to save us and instead are worshipping a golden calf to keep us living in prosperity?

Before continuing to read the rest of Revelation 18, I wanted to mention that I think we have seen a preview of this during the COVID lockdowns and subsequent supply chain problems, when many container ships were floating in the coasts off the USA, waiting for the ports to reopen so that they could come and offload their wares. Now, let us continue:

“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice [sound] of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers [flutists], and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle [lamp] shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Revelation 18:20-24)

The passage of Scripture above clearly tells us that Babylon the Great will never be great again, for it will be destroyed in one hour. All that represented happiness and life - the sound of music, the voice of a groom and his bride, the craftsman making their wares, and the sound of millstones grinding grain - will never be found in that city again. There is also something else that will never be found and that is a light of a candle or a lamp shining its light, for this city that once had light shining in her, now loves darkness over light. Thus, the light will never shine in her again. With the latter statement, again, there seems to be an eerie connection between Babylon the Great and the United States of America. The light of a candle or a lamp that shines its light may be referring to the torch of the Statue of Liberty never shining its light, which at night does appear as the light of a candle, because it will be destroyed. It could also be a reference to what Jesus told His disciples when He gave them what is called the Sermon on the Mount. Let us read what He said about the light:

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle [lamp], and put it under a bushel [basket], but on a candlestick [lampstand]; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 5:14-16)

When Puritan John Winthrop, who was an English lawyer, sailed in 1630 on the ship named Arbella with other Puritans from England to settle the Massachusetts Bay colony in Boston, he delivered a lecture titled “A Model of Christian Charity,” in which he made the famous statement that they should consider that they should be “as a city upon a hill.” Let us read part of his lecture, and also read his warnings about the future of their endeavors if they did not obey God: (See: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/Winthrop%27s%20City%20upon%20a%20Hill.pdf)

“Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke, and to provide for our posterity, is to followe the counsell of Micah, to doe justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, wee must be knitt together, in this worke, as one man. Wee must entertaine each other in brotherly affection…Wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when hee shall make us a prayse and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, “the Lord make it like that of New England.” For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill. The eies of all people are upon us. Soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our God in this worke wee have undertaken, and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. Wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the ways of God, and all professors for God’s sake. Wee shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into curses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whither wee are a goeing.I shall shutt upp this discourse with that exhortation of Moses, that faithfull servant of the Lord, in his last farewell to Israell, Deut. 30. Beloved there is now sett before us life and good, Death and evill, in that wee are commanded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another, to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Commandements and his Ordinance and his lawes, and the articles of our Covenant with him, that wee may live and be multiplied, and that the Lord our God may blesse us in the land whither wee goe to possesse it. But if our heartes shall turne away, soe that wee will not obey, but shall be seduced, and worshipp and serve other Gods, our pleasure and proffitts, and serve them; it is propounded unto us this day, wee shall surely perishe out of the good land whither wee passe over this vast sea to possesse it; Therefore let us choose life that wee, and our seede may live, by obeyeing His voyce and cleaveing to Him, for Hee is our life and our prosperity.”

Many years have gone by since Boston was settled, and the people of the states who came together to “form a more perfect union” and which became the United States of America, have not heeded the warnings of John Winthrop. While politicians including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and other political figures have given speeches that referenced America as a “city on a hill,” it was only in the context of America being a city that others would look to as a “beacon of hope.” They did not remind Americans that we must not turn from the God of Israel to worship and serve other gods, lest we perish out of the land. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_upon_a_Hill#Use_in_American_politics) As John Winthrop forewarned, our hearts have turned away from God, and we now worship and serve other gods. As John Winthrop stated above, we are seeking pleasure and profits instead of Almighty God, the God of Israel. I believe his warning that we will perish out of the land coincides to what God prophesied in Revelation 18 that Babylon will be destroyed in one hour.

Before finishing with this comparison of America to Babylon the Great, I wanted to focus on the last part of Revelation 18:23 and also verse 24. Let us read the end of verse 23 again:

“…and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” (Revelation 18:23)

America once loved God and sent missionaries all over the world to spread the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I don’t know of any other nation that once did more to spread the good news of Jesus Christ than America. America once taught the Bible to its children in its homes, churches, and schools, but, as John Winthrop warned, it turned away from God quite a while ago. Consequently, I believe that the reference to the voice of the bridegroom, meaning Jesus, and of the bride, meaning we who have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save us, will not be heard any more in Babylon also means that no longer would the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ be spoken by believers in Christ because there won’t be any left in America. Verse 24 seems to support this:

“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Revelation 18:24)

Prior to Babylon being destroyed, it will kill both the Jews, referred to as the prophets, for it is of the Jews from whom the prophets of the Bible came, and also of the saints, meaning the children of God, those who are saved by Jesus Christ. America has also become increasingly hostile to both Jews and Christians, just as Jesus warned His disciples would happen in the last days. I believe the only reason that God has put up with America’s wickedness this long is because of her support for Israel. However, that is changing.

While Donald Trump professes to be a friend of Israel, during his first presidency, it was he and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who proposed the “Deal of the Century,” also known as the “Peace to Prosperity” plan that would provide a two-state solution that would divide Israel, God’s land. The plan was rejected by the Palestinians and was not put in place. Under the subsequent American administration with Joe Biden as president, it has placed increasing pressure on Israel to divide its land, especially after the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel by Hamas. In fact, the world is increasing its hatred against the Jews, just as Jesus said would happen before His second coming. The future for America, or any other nation, is not one of blessing by God if it curses Israel by seeking to divide the land that God gave it:

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed [descendants] have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates…” (Genesis 15:18)

America and the world, particularly the wicked United Nations, are putting increasing pressure on Israel to divide its land and create a “two-state solution.” I believe this pressure will continue to grow until such time that Israel will make a covenant with many for a period of seven years, as prophesied in Daniel 9:27, with Israel not realizing that the one with whom it will make the covenant, is the final Antichrist, who comes declaring peace when in fact, he is seeking their destruction. During this time, the Jews will build their long-hoped-for third Jewish temple, in which they will conduct animal sacrifices and oblations. Antichrist will then break the covenant 3-1/2 years later:

“And he [the antichrist] shall confirm the covenant [or treaty] with many for one week [a period of seven years]; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation [offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

Throughout history, Israel has gone through periods of time when it trusted God, only to turn away from Him and worship false gods. Israel’s wholesale rejection of God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ resulted in God partially blinding them until the time of the Gentiles, the non-Jews, is come in, meaning it is complete/finished (Romans 11). As it has many times in history, Israel is looking for a man to give them “peace and security” and not to God. Instead of looking to Jesus Christ, their Messiah, the precious cornerstone and sure foundation, to save them, it is looking to earthly man, as it has time and time again. Israel currently is ripe to make such an agreement or covenant with the man who will be the final Antichrist. One main motivation to make this covenant is that the Jewish religious leaders in Israel are longing to build their third temple, and it may be that they will be allowed to build the temple if they make the covenant. Israel just announced on October 21, 2024 that it has built a replica of the Ark of the Covenant that once stood in the first Jewish temple (See: https://www.jns.org/with-eyes-on-winning-war-building-third-jewish-temple-ark-replica-shown-in-jerusalem/).

On November 11, 2024, just six days after Donald Trump was elected as the 47th president of America, israel365news.com ran an article titled, “Midrash Hints that Trump Will Return Glory to Western World by Building Third Temple.” The article makes some concerning statements from Rabbi Yosef Berger and for anyone who knows Bible prophecy, these seem to align with what the books of Daniel and Revelation refer to the antichrist: (See: https://israel365news.com/397766/midrash-hints-that-trump-will-return-glory-to-western-world-by-building-third-temple/)

“Rabbi Yosef Berger revealed some amazing aspects of Donald Trump’s victory in the recent US Presidential election, most notably his potential role in building the Third Temple. As the spiritual descendant of Rome, the nation that destroyed the Second Temple, Trump has the potential to do a tikkun, fixing the sin of Rome, and returning the glory to Western society.”

Compare this to the book of Daniel in the seventy weeks prophecy that tells us from where the antichrist will come. Gotquestions.org has a good article that explains this prophecy (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html):

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off [suffer the death penalty], but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant [or a treaty] with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:26-27)

The “people of the prince that shall come” does in fact refer to the people of Rome, which destroyed Jerusalem and the second Jewish temple in 70 AD. The “prince” that it refers to is the final antichrist, and he will make a 7-year covenant with the Jewish nation, and possibly other nations, for a period of one week, which in this prophecy is a period of seven years. However, he will break the covenant halfway through it and will commit an abomination in the temple. Jesus told His disciples about this. When this abomination happens, the people of Israel will realize that they have been deceived by the antichrist and will flee to the mountains, which many believe is Petra:

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea, fleet into the mountains…” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:15-16)

Could the signing of this covenant pave the way for the nation of Israel to build its third temple? Just on November 14, 2024, an article was posted on the Middle East Eye stating that Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for the US Defense Secretary has, in the past, “has called for the building of a third Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.” (See: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/new-us-defence-secretary-called-building-third-temple-jerusalem)

Continuing with the israel365news.com article (see prior link above), it compared Donald Trump to King Cyrus of Persia, who was called by God to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem from Babylon and build the second Jewish Temple. It also states something very peculiar:

“Rabbi Berger cited the medieval commentator, Rashi, who stated (Daniel 12:12) that moshiach [Messiah] will be revealed, concealed, and then revealed again. This was also stated in Midrash Rabbah (Bamidbar 11:3):”

“‘Like Cyrus, God put Donald Trump in power in order to build the Temple and pave the way for moshiach,’ Rabbi Berger said. ‘Like Moses, Trump began as part of the common people, was revealed in his first success entering the White House, but was then hidden.’”

“‘Like Moses, now that Trump has been revealed for the second time, he will fulfill his ultimate function,’ Rabbi Berger said.”

The book of Revelation makes an eerily similar statement, but it is not referring to the Messiah but to the final antichrist:

“And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman [Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots], and of the beast [antichrist] that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition [destruction]: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder [marvel], whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are [have] fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space [time]. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength [authority] unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb [Jesus], and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:7-14)

I do not know if Donald Trump is the antichrist, but the statements that are being made by certain rabbis in Israel are very concerning to me. We know that they are not looking for the return of Jesus Christ but for the one they call their Messiah, who in fact the Bible tells us will be the final antichrist. I truly believe we are drawing very near to the time when Israel will either voluntarily or have intense pressure put upon her to make a covenant for a period of seven years to bring “peace and security” to her and the nations that surround her, but which will in fact bring the opposite. I believe this covenant may be the one that Isaiah prophesied will be cancelled:

“Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 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. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” (Isaiah 28:14-18)

I believe this covenant will be made sometime soon, after America has now elected Donald Trump to be its next president. Time will tell.

Returning to Revelation 18:24, I believe the last part that states, “and of all that were slain upon the earth,” includes everyone else who was killed by bloody Babylon. The wicked rulers of America, on both sides of the political aisle, together with leaders of large corporations all around the world, have caused many wars and conflicts around the world so that they can increase their wealth and keep living in luxury, at the cost of millions of people’s lives in the process. However, instead of repenting for our deep sins against God, Americans want to keep on living in our wicked sins against God. At his October 27, 2024 re-election campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Donald Trump promised: (See: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/live-blog-posts/trump-madison-square-garden-golden-age/)

“This will be America’s new golden age. It’s going to happen quickly too, very quickly.”

This eerily reminds me of ancient Babylon, the Babylon written about in the Old Testament. Babylon conquered other nations, including Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel when Israel was a divided nation, and took their wealth so that it could live in opulence and abundance that had never been known. It was a period of time known as Babylon’s “golden age.” (See: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/beautiful-babylon-jewel-ancient-world/)

Babylon destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and took many Jews captive for a period of 70-years in Babylon. Like America that has rejected Almighty God, the One true God, Babylon worshipped many false gods, to its own peril. As written in Daniel chapter 5, Babylon’s last king was full of pride, and one night held a great feast where he and his right-hand men, and his wives and concubines/mistresses all partied and drank from the Jewish temple vessels that had been taken when Babylon conquered Jerusalem. This was an abomination to God, and God brought judgment upon Babylon when He sent Cyrus, the king of Persia, which is modern-day Iran, to conquer it in 539 BC. Is it an odd coincidence that during President Trump’s first administration, many Jews, and even many Americans professing to be Christian, referred to him as a “modern-day Cyrus”? It was Cyrus who conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to return home from Babylon and build their second temple. Could former President Trump be the one that conquers modern-day Babylon, which I believe may very well be America? Could this be a fulfillment of the prophecy below?

“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [Babylon the Great], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree [be of one mind], and give their kingdom unto the beast [antichrist], until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:16-18)

Is Donald Trump the one who will make a covenant with the Jews, which will include a “two-state solution,” in exchange for supporting the building of their third temple, as King Cyrus did with the second temple, something they have been longing to do for a very long time?

Concluding with my reasoning as to why America may be the harlot, Babylon the Great, in the book of Revelation, let us read the last part of Revelation 18:23 again:

”…for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” (Revelation 18:23)

First, I noticed something different in how the merchants were referred to in the verse above as compared to in previous verses in chapter 18:

“…and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies…” (Revelation 18:3)

“…and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more…” (Revelation 18:11)

“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing.” (Revelation 18:15)

The merchants of the earth are “thy merchants,” meaning these are Babylon’s merchants, who are the rich and powerful men of the earth. There is a clear connection to these merchants and Babylon.

Babylon the Great’s Worldwide Deception

Next, let us focus on the second part of verse 23. I first heard of this from JD Farag, a pastor in Hawaii, I listen to online, who noted that in the original Greek, the word “sorceries” is “pharmakeia,” from which we get “pharmacy.” It is defined as “the use of medicine, drugs or spells.” (See: https://biblehub.com/greek/5331.htm) America has had a drug problem for a long time, and it continues to grow worse and worse, However, in this context, I believe this is no ordinary drug problem because it says, “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” What does it mean to deceive someone? Merriam-Webster defines “deceive” as “to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” Every day, people are deceived. But what does it say about Babylon? It says, “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” When were all nations deceived? They were deceived by the so-called COVID “pandemic,” with the USA leading the charge for all nations to comply with the mandates dictated by the American administration to “slow the curve.” The mandates included people wearing masks and staying six feet apart, which was in lockstep with the World “Health” Organization, which I believe is better named as the World “Hell” Organization. It was also in lockstep with rich and powerful men, such as Bill Gates, who joined with 16 pharmaceutical companies to create “vaccines” for COVID.

Never before have such “vaccines” been rushed to market so quickly without taking the normal amount of time to conduct clinical trials to see what adverse events and side effects may result from the vaccines. Subsequently, many people have died and many others have had serious health injuries from them as reported on the US Health and Human Services Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Looking at the reporting data for the COVID “vaccines,” it is clear that since 1990 when reporting through VAERS began, there have never been the number of deaths associated with any vaccine as high as those for COVID (See: https://openvaers.com/covid-data and the chart titled “All Deaths Reported to VAERS by Year.” I have heard that only a low number of incidents are reported to this system, as it takes a significant amount of time to report the adverse event, and that the numbers are actually much higher. Even the US Government’s own website stated: (See: https://digital.ahrq.gov/ahrq-funded-projects/electronic-support-public-health-vaccine-adverse-event-reporting-system).

“Adverse events from vaccines are common but underreported, with less than one percent reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Low reporting rates preclude or delay the identification of "problem" vaccines, potentially endangering the health of the public.”

With such a significant number of adverse events, which at least according to VAERS appears never to have happened with other vaccines, why weren’t the COVID “vaccines” pulled immediately? I also ask, who was leading the helm of these so-called vaccines? It was Donald Trump, and he even stated: (See: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/23/politics/trump-vaccine-covid-effectiveness/index.html)

“I came up with a vaccine, with three vaccines. All are very, very good. Came up with three of them in less than nine months.”

“‘Look, the results of the vaccine are very good, and if you do get (Covid), it’s a very minor form. People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine,’ he said in an interview with The Daily Wire’s Candace Owens that was released Tuesday.”

“When Owens began raising doubt about the vaccine efficacy, Trump interjected, saying, ‘Well, no, the vaccine works.’”

As time has elapsed since these “vaccines” were introduced, we have seen an alarming rate of young, healthy people dying from heart-related conditions and also from aggressive cancers, with a new term being added called “turbo cancers,” and yet no one in mainstream media wants to discuss the possible connection to the “vaccines” and instead has used reasons of “Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS),” the COVID virus itself, energy drinks, the food we eat, and the list goes on and on. Let us read some other quotes from Donald Trump, which were from the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). I have included a link to the website that contains the transcription and also the video itself.

(See: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/bPp2Yv5dZPAF6M6A8RQyZUlo563lBfA5s3_VgMdkk5IWUoDTmLjS02rQLE4akVID9dlIuFRL3UBH1WqnAykTj98Wjew?loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=1540.44)

Donald Trump (25:40):

“Can you imagine if you had to go through what all of the countries of the world who are now getting the vaccine or soon will be getting it from various companies, but can you imagine if all of those countries had to go through what they've been going through over the last year? You'd lose hundreds of millions of people. I pushed the FDA like they have never been pushed before. They told me that loud and clear. They have never been pushed like I pushed them. I didn't like them at all, but once we got it done, I said, I now love you very much. What the Trump administration has done with vaccines has in many respects, perhaps saved large portions of the world. Not only our country, but large portions of the world.”

Donald Trump (26:38):

“Not only did we push the FDA far beyond what the bureaucrats wanted to do. We also put up billions and billions of dollars, 10 billion to produce the vaccines before we knew they were going to work. It was called a calculated bet or a calculated risk. We took a risk because if we didn't do that, you still wouldn't have the vaccines. You wouldn't have them for a long time. So think of that, we took this bet. We made a bet because we thought we were on a certain track, but you'd be starting to make them right now. It'd be a long time before you ever saw. It takes 60 to 100 days to manufacture and inspect new doses. And that means that 100% of the increased availability that we have now was initiated by our administration. 100%. In fact, the director of National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, he's Fauci's boss, actually, I think he's a Democrat too, by the way, recently said that our operation warp speed was absolutely breathtaking and that the Trump administration deserves full credit, which we do. And as conservatives and Republicans, never forget that we did it. Never let them take the credit because they don't deserve the credit. They just followed now, they're following our plan, but this has been something that they really call, they call it an absolute miracle.”

Let us read Donald Trump’s own words at his Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit on December 8, 2020: (See: https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-operation-warp-speed-vaccine-summit/)

“We’re here to discuss a monumental national achievement. From the instant the coronavirus invaded our shores, we raced into action to develop a safe and effective vaccine at breakneck speed. It would normally take five years, six years, seven years, or even more. In order to achieve this goal, we harnessed the full power of government, the genius of American scientists, and the might of American industry to save millions and millions of lives all over the world. We’re just days away from authorization from the FDA, and we’re pushing them hard, at which point we will immediately begin mass distribution.”

“Before Operation Warp Speed, the typical timeframe for development and approval, as you know, could be infinity. And we were very, very happy that we were able to get things done at a level that nobody has ever seen before. The gold standard vaccine has been done in less than nine months.”

It wasn’t just Donald Trump that was pushing his country to get vaccinated, it was also Benjamin Netanyahu, who pushed Israel to get vaccinated. Netanyahu made a deal with Pfizer to buy vaccines early in their rollout to countries in an agreement to share health data from the people of Israel, which, rightfully so, raised concerns of privacy: (See: https://www.npr.org/2021/01/31/960819083/vaccines-for-data-israels-pfizer-deal-drives-quick-rollout-and-privacy-worries)

“How has tiny Israel beat out bigger countries on COVID-19 vaccinations, securing a steady stream of vials and inoculating a larger share of its citizenry than any other nation?”

“Israel paid a premium, locked in an early supply of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and struck a unique deal: vaccines for data.”

"‘We said to Pfizer ... that the moment they give us the vaccine, we'll be able to vaccinate at the speed they've never heard of,’ Israel's health minister Yuli Edelstein tells NPR.”

"‘We need to understand that [Israel's agreement with Pfizer] is going to be one of the, I would say, widest medical experiments on humans at the 21st century,’ says the Israel Democracy Institute's Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, a data privacy advocate and a leading voice questioning the Pfizer data deal.”

Another thing I will say about this worldwide deception, that sounds eerily similar to what is written in Revelation 18:23, is to ask if you knew that in October 2019, an exercise was conducted in New York where it planned for a simulated event of a coronavirus global outbreak? (See: https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/tabletop-exercises/event-201-pandemic-tabletop-exercise)

“The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hosted Event 201, a high-level pandemic exercise on October 18, 2019, in New York, NY. The exercise illustrated areas where public/private partnerships will be necessary during the response to a severe pandemic in order to diminish large-scale economic and societal consequences.”

“Event 201 simulates an outbreak of a novel zoonotic coronavirus transmitted from bats to pigs to people that eventually becomes efficiently transmissible from person to person, leading to a severe pandemic. The pathogen and the disease it causes are modeled largely on SARS, but it is more transmissible in the community setting by people with mild symptoms.”

Is it an odd coincidence that just a few months later in March 2020 the world was locked down due to a coronavirus pandemic, during which Donald Trump was president? I am reminded of when he made an out-of-the-blue statement back on October 5, 2017 when he met with his top military leaders and perplexed reporters when he said to them: “You guys know what this represents? Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.” After they asked him what storm he was referring to, he told them, “You’ll find out.” Was the COVID pandemic the storm he referred to? (See: https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/06/politics/trump-storm-coming/index.html)

As others have speculated, I do believe the vaccines were not created for COVID, but COVID was created to bring in the vaccines, and it was not with good intentions but with nefarious purposes, whose far-reaching, disastrous and evil intended outcomes I believe are still yet to be revealed.

I have been writing this devotional since October 11, 2024, and we all have seen and heard the American 2024 Presidential campaign rhetoric. On November 6, as I continued writing this devotional, the day after the election, Donald Trump was declared the winner and America, and many in the world, were and still are singing, “Happy days are here again!” as they celebrate their candidate’s win and look to him for better days ahead. On November 12, 2024, israel365news.com ran an article titled, “Ben Shapiro: Trump is Noah, Made to Save This Generation.” (See: https://israel365news.com/397789/ben-shapiro-trump-is-noah-made-to-save-this-generation/) It reminds me of the days described in the Old Testament, when the people of Israel looked to wicked kings to save them and disregarded what God’s prophets told them time and time again to stop sinning and return to God, and then they would have His blessings and not curses. I love my country, but America has become an abomination to God for its love of sin, and it has not learned its lesson, it has not repented and turned back to God. Further, and more importantly, I believe America will soon turn its back on Israel and will push it to divide the land that God gave to Israel and to Israel alone. Just one day after Donald Trump was elected President of the USA, Newsweek ran an article titled “Hamas Calls for 'Immediate' End to War After Trump Election Win”: (See: https://www.newsweek.com/hamas-calls-immediate-end-war-after-trump-election-win-1981571)

“A senior Hamas official has called for an immediate end to Israel's war against the group in the Gaza Strip and a plan to achieve Palestinian statehood in remarks shared with Newsweek in the wake of former President Donald Trump's election victory.

"‘The election of Trump as the 47th president of the USA is a private matter for the Americans,’ Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim told Newsweek, ‘but Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self-sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.’"

"‘The blind support for the Zionist entity 'Israel' and its fascist government, at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region, must stop immediately,’ he added.”

Jerusalem is God’s holy city, and it is the capital of the land that God gave to Israel. Any nation or anyone who believes that they can take it by force will be sorely mistaken, as we are told in God’s word. In addition, any nation or anyone who believes that they can divide God’s land is also sorely mistaken:

“For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity [captives] of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead [enter into judgment] with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted [divided up] my land.” (Joel 3:1-2)

“The burden [oracle or prophecy] of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:1-3)

“In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:8-9)

Consequently, I believe we are in for a very rough road ahead of us, a road that has been disguised with promises of peace and glory but which is paved with lies and deception. I do not believe America will be blessed by God but will be cursed by Him. Time will tell.

When God Spoke to Satan through the Apostle Peter

The third and final example I wanted to provide of when God spoke to Satan through a man is when Jesus, who is God the Son, spoke to Peter. It was sometime after when Jesus asked His disciples whom do men say that He is and they answered, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14). Jesus then asked His disciples whom they say that He is, and Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered Peter, saying:

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona [Peter’s name before Jesus started calling him “Peter]: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 16:17-19)

Jesus then told His disciples that they should not tell anyone that He was Jesus the Christ. Then He told them this:

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matthew 16:21)

For many, including myself when I first read this, what was said next by Peter and Jesus’ response to him was perplexing:

“Then Peter took him [took him aside], and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not [are not mindful of] the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:22-23)

Here was the same Peter who, not long beforehand, was the first apostle to rightfully declare to Jesus that He is “the Christ, the living Son of the living God.“ Likely, in Peter’s eyes, he was defending Jesus, for he had grown to love Him and didn’t want anything bad to happen to Him. But there was also a darker side to the words that Peter had spoken, and the words had a sense of pride in them. Peter said the things that Jesus had just told him and the other disciples would happen would not happen, but the source of these words was Satan, for Satan did not want God’s plan for Jesus to be fulfilled, especially when Jesus said He would “be raised again the third day.” Satan wanted his plan for mankind to be fulfilled and not God’s, and Jesus knew that the words that Peter had just spoken were not his own but Satan’s.

There were many times that Satan has tried to stop God’s plan for mankind from happening, including when he had King Herod kill all of the babies two years old and under when he was seeking to find and kill Jesus not long after He had been born. Satan knows his future. He knows God’s word and what it says about his future, and that that there is coming a time when Jesus will cast him into the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity and Satan will never, ever be able to influence mankind again. Until that happens, Satan is doing everything he can to influence people to destroy everyone who is with God. He started that in the beginning with Adam and Eve and it is still happening today, including many world leaders who reject God and who believe Satan, also called Lucifer, who are puffed up in their pride and believe they are the ruling elite. Whether they know it or not, when they reject God to follow Satan/Lucifer, they have set themselves up for destruction and will spend their eternity in the lake of fire.

THE TIME WHEN THE EARTH WILL REJOICE - JESUS’ MILLENNIAL REIGN

Finally, let us read of the time when the earth will rejoice. That time will come when the time of Jacob’s trouble, the 7-year tribulation period, is finished when Jesus comes to earth a second time with His armies in heaven. He will stand in the mount of Olives and will strike down (kill) all of mankind who has come against Him and has followed the unholy trinity of Satan, his right-hand man known as the beast/final antichrist, and his false prophet, who will require all of mankind to worship the antichrist and take his mark, name, or number (666) in order to buy or sell. The antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the eternal lake of fire and Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season [while].” (Revelation 20:1-3)

During that time, Jesus Christ will reign on earth with a rod of iron. He will finally rule all kingdoms of the earth, having taken them from the grip of Satan. It is at that time when creation will rejoice.

During the 1,000-year millennial reign of Jesus Christ, people will still die during this period but their lifespans will significantly increase. The people who were not caught up to Jesus in the rapture prior to the start of the 7-year tribulation period but who during this time accept Him as their Savior, will not live in their new glorified bodies, as those who were saved prior to the rapture and who return to earth with Jesus at His second coming, but will live in their normal, fleshly bodies and will be able to bear children. They will also still be able to sin, and when they do, it will not be tolerated; hence, Jesus reigns with a rod of iron. No longer will there be a corrupt justice system that lets criminals go free and continue to terrorize; no, Jesus will not tolerate it. Let us read some of the Scriptures that discuss this time period. While we do not know the exact timing of all of this, we do know that it WILL happen:

“And the seventh angel sounded [blew his trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats [thrones], fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come…” (Revelation 11:15-18)

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil [plunder] shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled [plundered] and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue [remnant] of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his [Jesus’] feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave [split in two] in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azai: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” (Zechariah 14:1-5)

“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a [turned into] plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it [Jerusalem] shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.” (Zechariah 14:9-11)

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 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; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes [by what he sees], neither reprove after the hearing of his ears [decide by what he hears]: 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. And righteousness shall be the girdle [belt] of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins [belt of his waist]. 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 falling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed [graze]; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking [nursing] child shall play on the hole of the asp [cobra], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ [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 the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of [a banner to] the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:1-10)

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days [live but a few days], nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Isaiah 65:20)

“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock [ox]: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat [food]. They shall not hurt not destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:25)

While the world seeks to have peace, because of sin and corruption of mankind, true peace is found only in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. True peace will only exist when He returns to earth the second time and reigns over all kingdoms of the world for 1,000 years. There is no corruption found in Him, and He will reign with righteous justice. It will be at that time that nations will no longer war against each other:

“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.” Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)

THE END OF SATAN AND A NEW BEGINNING FOR BELIEVERS IN CHRIST

Before ending this devotional message, I wanted to write that there is more to come for mankind after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, as the book of Revelation tells us. I believe there is a connection between the Scriptures I included previously in this devotional from Isaiah 14:15-28, and part of which I have included again below, which state that Satan will be cast out of his grave and what is written in Revelation 20:7-15, which I have included below. After Jesus reigns for 1,000 years on earth, Satan will be released from the pit/cast out from the grave. Even though mankind will have lived during this time period of 1,000 years with Jesus ruling, there will still be people who will choose to turn against Him and follow Satan. This will prove once and for all that mankind is inherently sinful and no matter how perfect the environment is and without Satan’s influence and deception over the world, there will still be people who just hate God and want to follow Satan. After Satan is released, he will deceive the world one final time. Jesus will then put a complete end to Satan and to all who will choose to follow him, ending all evil and wickedness forever, and He will cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire. Jesus will then resurrect from the dead every single person who died in their sins, who did not put their faith and trust in God to save them. Jesus will pronounce them guilty, for their names will not be found in the book of life, and they will be cast into the eternal lake of fire, where Satan will be.

As the Scriptures below state, Satan truly is the seed of evildoers and from that point forward, he will never be renowned/named again, for all sin will be gone forever, along with all his children who followed him instead of God. The people who rejected salvation will not live with Jesus and His believers on the new earth that Jesus will create, along with a new heaven and a new Jerusalem after He destroys the earth by fire, for Jesus will have cut them off. Babylon, the epitome of rebellion against God by man, which began with Nimrod in Babel, when he and his followers built a high tower to exalt themselves instead of God, Babylon which continued with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon who conquered Judah and destroyed it and Jerusalem and burned the first Jewish temple, and Babylon, which will rise again as Mystery Babylon the Great during the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, will be destroyed, never to rise again:

“But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable [despised] branch, and as the raiment [garment] of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned [named]. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son [offspring], and nephew [posterity], saith the LORD. I will also make it a possession for the bittern [porcupine], and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom [broom] of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand…” (Isaiah 14:19-24)

“And when the thousand years are expired [completed], Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast [antichrist] and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:7-15)

In conclusion, let us read the words of King David, the apostle Paul, and the apostle John and remember that God has not forgotten His people Israel, His afflicted, and Jesus will save a remnant of them through the time of Jacob’s trouble. It is this remnant who will finally put their faith and trust in Jesus - their Messiah, their TRUE Messiah - and they will all be saved. Let us also remember there is coming a day when all of creation will be joyful, when the heavens and the mountains break forth into singing, when the righteous king, Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, takes His rightful reign upon the earth and is set in the midst of His people Israel, who will finally recognize Him as their Messiah:

“Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed [descendants] of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him [hold him in awesome reverence], all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat [prosper] upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust [death] shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul [keep himself alive]. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” (Psalm 22:23-31)

“In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings [deeds], wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted [gentle and humble] and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed [feed their flocks] and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see [fear] evil [disaster] any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack [weak]. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest [quiet you] in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn [appointed] assembly, who are of thee [among you], to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo [deal with all] that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get [give] them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name [fame] and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.” (Zephaniah 3:11-20)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits [opinion]; that blindness [hardening] in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion [Zion] the Deliver, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27)

“Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things [those] in heaven, and things [those] in earth, and things [those] under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of [ruler over] the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds [the tribes] of the earth shall wail [mourn] because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:5-8) ✝️

October 10, 2024: Isaiah 49:11-12 - God will Make a Way for His People

“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.” - Isaiah 49:11-12

In this passage of Scripture from the book of Isaiah, let us go back and read what is in verse one of this chapter of Isaiah: It is Jesus Christ Himself who is speaking to us, and He is specifically addressing the Gentile/non-Jewish nations, which are referred to as “isles” and “people from far.”. Let us read again what Jesus said in Isaiah 49:1:

“Listen, O isles, unto me: and hearken, ye people, from far; the LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” (Isaiah 49:1)

In Isaiah 49:6, Jesus told us that God said unto Him:

“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

Jesus also told us:

“And now saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him. Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.” (Isaiah 49:5)

The book of Isaiah prophesied that Judah, which was part of the southern kingdom when the twelve tribes of Israel, once a unified nation, was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, would be conquered by Babylon. Isaiah prophesied that not only would Judah be conquered, but its people would be taken into captivity to Babylon. The ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel had already been conquered by Assyria and its people taken captive, and now Judah, comprised of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, was about to suffer the same fate but by the ruling nation of Babylon and its king, Nebuchadnezzar. God allowed this to happen because of the people’s many terrible sins against Him. Both Israel and Judah had terribly bad kings who had ruled over them. Though Judah did have some good kings, most of their kings had committed many sins against God. Prior to the people of Judah being taken into captivity, instead of worshipping Almighty God, the one true God, the mighty One of Jacob, the people worshipped pagan idols and false gods, and they even sacrificed their own children to these false gods. Let us read of Isaiah’s prophecy to Hezekiah, the king of Judah at that time and who was one of the few good kings. This prophecy was given long before Judah would be invaded and conquered by Babylon:

“At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue [descend] from thee, which shou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good [just] is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.” (Isaiah 39)

This prophecy of Isaiah was later fulfilled with stunning accuracy. King Hezekiah, though once was filled with pride, had humbled himself before God when He sent His wrath upon him. Not only did Hezekiah humble himself, but so too did the people of Jerusalem. God rewarded Hezekiah, and he lived out the rest of his life in peace. Afterwards, Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh became king, and he was an evil king that led the people of Judah once again into the worship of false gods. Though the king eventually did repent, he had done too much damage to the people of Judah, and they themselves did not repent and stood steadfast in their sins against God. (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Manasseh.html) Ultimately, just as Isaiah had prophesied, Judah was conquered by Babylon and its people were taken into captivity. There were several deportations of the people of Judah as they were taken from their land and brought into Babylon. Let us read of one of them:

“In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim [the king of Judah, five kings after Hezekiah] became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands [troops] of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh [king Hezekiah’s son], according to all that he did; and also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers [died]: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And he carried out thence all the treasurers of the house [temple] of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel [the last king of Israel when it was a unified nation] had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away [took into captivity] all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt [fit] for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.” (2 Kings 24:1-16)

The Jewish prophet Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were likely teenagers at the time, were four of the Jewish young men who lived in Judah and were taken into captivity in Babylon. Daniel wrote about this in the book of Daniel. They were made eunuchs, meaning they would be castrated so that they would not pose a threat to the king, and they were chosen to serve the king. Let us read what Daniel wrote in his opening chapter of his book:

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house [temple] of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs [castrated males], that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed [descendants], and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat [food], and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before [serve] the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel [whose Hebrew name means “God is my judge"] the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” (Daniel 1:1-9)

Just as Isaiah had prophesied decades prior that not only would the material treasures of Judah be taken away from them and brought to Babylon, but so too would the human treasures, the descendants of Hezekiah, young men, be taken away and castrated and would serve the king as eunuchs in his palace. Except for a small remnant of the most poor people in Judah who remained in Judah, the rest of them were deported to Babylon, just as Isaiah had prophesied.

Another Jewish prophet, Jeremiah, prophesied to the people of Judah during the first year of the reign of king Nebuchadrezzar, which is another name for Nebuchadnezzar, that because they had not listened to the words of God’s prophets who had warned them repeatedly to stop doing evil things and return to the Lord their God, that they would suffer the consequences of their sins against God. However, the people did not repent and return to the Lord. Consequently, God sent Jeremiah to tell them that God would send the king of Babylon to take them out of their land and bring them into captivity in Babylon for a period of seventy years. After the seventy years, God would then punish the king and the nation of Babylon because of their own sins:

“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; the which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened [listened]. And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:1-12)

As prophesied above by Jeremiah, the people of Judah were taken to Babylon, and they did return to their land after 70 years’ captivity. In chapter 2 of the book of Ezra, it describes in detail the people, by family name, who returned to Jerusalem and Judah. I have only included the summary verses below:

“Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city...” (Ezra 2:1)

“The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore.” (Ezra 2:64)

Time and time again, the Jews have rebelled against God, and He has brought punishment to them in order for them to see they needed to repent and to return to Him. Through their many punishments, God has always preserved a remnant of His people, including the people of Israel when it was a divided nation of ten of the twelve tribes and was split from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Though Israel had many bad kings who ruled it, God still promised through the prophet Isaiah that he would preserve a remnant of the Jews of the northern kingdom of Israel who were taken to Assyria and that remnant would return to their land:

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay [depend] upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption [destruction] shall overflow with righteousness. For the LORD God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined [a determined end], in the midst of all the land. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.” (Isaiah 10:20-25)

During the Babylonian captivity, God, through His prophet Ezekiel, proclaimed woe upon the shepherds of Israel and that their flocks - the Jewish people - were scattered because they had no shepherd to lead them. The shepherds were the religious leaders who were supposed to feed and protect the people and teach them the word of God. Instead of feeding the people, the shepherds had only fed themselves. Ezekiel prophesied that God Himself be the shepherd. It would be He who would seek out His people, gather them, and bring them back into their own land. Let us read some of what Ezekiel wrote about these false shepherds:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat [food] to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; as I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to [food for] every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat [rich] pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:1-16)

In this prophecy, God had nothing good to say about the shepherds of Israel. They had not taken care of the sheep, the people of Israel, and had left them to fend for themselves, causing them to stray and wander. When they did, the shepherds did not go looking for their sheep to bring them back into the fold, but just left them. While the shepherds grew fat and happy, the sheep became weak and frail and also prone to sinning because their shepherds had not properly instructed them in the ways of God. Because they were poorly fed, both physically and spiritually, the sheep were subject to disease and sickness and were vulnerable. They became prey to other nations. However, as written in the Scriptures below, it is not just the shepherds that God will judge but also the sheep themselves. The sheep that were faithful to Him will be judged as sheep but the ones that were not faithful to Him will be judged as goats. Ezekiel 34:17-22 describes this as a judgment between “cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats,” which I believe in the King James Version, it is a mistranslation, for in the Hebrew it reads, “between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.” (See https://biblehub.com/text/ezekiel/34-17.htm). The sheep will be in God’s flock and the rest, the goats, will not be part of God’s flock; those who are part of His flock will be saved, and those who are not, will not be saved:

“And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, [sheep and sheep], between the rams and the he [male] goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle [sheep] and between the lean cattle [sheep],. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle [sheep] and cattle [sheep].” (Ezekiel 34:17=22)

Because the shepherds did not lead and care for God’s sheep, God then tells the shepherds of Israel to whom He has just pronounced woe upon, that He will set up one shepherd over His people:

“And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and thy places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them [enslaved them]. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen [for the nations], neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in their land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 34:23-31)

There are different viewpoints as to whom the “one shepherd” God is referring, is it Jesus Christ or is it David, resurrected from the dead, or both? I think it is both. It is Jesus Christ who only can bring eternal peace, and that is by faith in Him. God refers to Jesus Christ as the “Prince of Peace,” and tell us that He is from the line of David:

“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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would come from the lineage of David when the word of the LORD was given unto Nathan the prophet to speak to King David. The first part of the prophecy refers to David’s son Solomon, who would reign as king after his father King David died, and who would build the great first Jewish temple. However, the second part of the prophecy refers to the Messiah - Jesus Christ - who would come from the line of David and whose kingdom would be established forever:

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep [die] with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He [Solomon, David’s son] shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

I think it may be that after the tribulation period, when Jesus comes the second time and reigns upon the earth in righteousness and with a rod of iron for 1,000 years, prior to Him creating a new heaven and a new earth, that His servant David will be the shepherd in Israel. That is just my thought, and I very well could be wrong. What matters is that God knows, and His will, will be done. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, will be the shepherd not only over the Jewish people but of all people, both Jews and Gentiles, all over the world. Jesus referred to Himself as the “good shepherd.” The apostle Peter said, Jesus is the “chief shepherd.” The author of Hebrews said, Jesus is the “great shepherd”:

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:11)

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (Jesus Christ; John 14-16)

“And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away,” (1 Peter 5:4)

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant…” (Hebrews 13:20)

In the prophecy above from Ezekiel 34:1-16 I believe there is a clue as to the timing when this will happen. Let us read again what it says:

“As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.” (Ezekiel 34:12-13)

This Scripture is referring to the day of the Lord. The Scripture above is referenced to Ezekiel 30:3. Let us read what is written in Ezekiel 30:1-3:

“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl [wail] ye, Woe worth [to] the day! For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heaven [Gentiles].” (Ezekiel 30:1-3)

The day of the Lord begins when Jesus opens the seven seals that starts the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, and will end with His second coming to earth from heaven, when He will destroy all who come against Him. It will also be when the surviving remnant of the Jewish people will mourn for their sins against Him, finally believing that He IS their Messiah. Jesus will gather all His people from where they have been scattered and bring them back into their land. Jesus’ second coming will end the time of the Gentile reign upon the earth, and Jesus will reign in righteousness for 1,000 years. He will be their Shepherd.

Now, let us examine further the prophesied judgment of the sheep and the goats in Ezekiel 34:17-22. The prophesied judgment by the shepherd truly does seem to have a connection to what Jesus said to the shepherds of Israel who were living when Jesus came the first time. He was in the temple and had pronounced His woe judgments upon the shepherds of Israel at that time, who were the scribes and the Pharisees, who, just like the shepherds in the times when the prophet Ezekiel prophesied, were not leading God’s people. Seven times Jesus called them “hypocrites!” and He called them “blind guides.” Just as in the times of Ezekiel, Jesus had nothing good to say about the shepherds of Israel at that time. Not long after Jesus called them out and told them of the woes that would be upon them, Jesus left the temple and answered His disciples’ question as to what would be the sign indicating His second coming and of the end of the age. He told them the things that would happen prior to and during the 7-year tribulation, which is called the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” meaning Israel’s trouble. He also told them about the kingdom of heaven. He said there would be a time when He would judge between the sheep and the goats. All nations will be gathered before Him in judgment, which I believe includes the sheep and goats of Israel:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred [hungry], and ye gave me meat [food]: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred [hungry], and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 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. 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: for I was an hungred [hungry], and ye gave me no meat [food]: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee, an hungred [hungry], or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 25:32-46)

Now, regarding today’s Scripture verses in Isaiah 49:11-12, I believe this is both a near and far prophecy. The near prophecy was when at the end of their 70-year captivity in Babylon, the people of both Israel and Judah were allowed to return to their land in Israel by proclamation of King Cyrus, king of Persia, who had conquered Babylon. Remember that Isaiah had prophesied that God would use King Cyrus to accomplish His will and made mention of him by name nearly 150 years before he was even born (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1). Let us read some of what Jeremiah spoke about this and why God allowed Babylon to be conquered by the Medo-Persian empire, led by King Cyrus, which is referred to below as “an assembly of great nations from the north country”:

“The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the nations, and publish [proclaim], and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel [a Babylonian god], Merodach [or Marduk, a Babylonian god] is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded [humiliated], her images are broken in pieces. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. Remove [move] out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as he goats [rams] before the flocks. For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain. And Chaldea shall be a spoil [become plunder] all that spoil [plunder] her shall be satisfied, saith the LORD. Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; your mother shall be sore confounded [deeply ashamed]: behold, the hindermost [least] of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished [horrified], and hiss at all her plagues. Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD. Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land. Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar [Nebuchadnezzar] king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve [preserve].” (Jeremiah 50:1-20)

“For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of [by] his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.” (Jeremiah 51:5)

“The portion of Jacob is not like them [the people of Babylon]; for he [God] is the former [maker] of all things: and Israel is the rod [tribe] of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.” (Jeremiah 51:19)

The perpetual covenant that Jeremiah mentioned above in Jeremiah 50:1-20 (Jeremiah 50:5) is the same covenant Jeremiah wrote about in Jeremiah 31:31:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

The new covenant was quoted in the New Testament book of Hebrews, Hebrews 8:8-12 when the author, possibly the apostle Paul, was speaking of Jesus Christ:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum [main point]: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Hebrews 8:1-2)

“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7)

No longer would the Jewish people need to follow the Law but would follow Jesus; they would worship Him with all their heart. The Law reveals sin and cannot save anyone from their sins; only Jesus can save:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 5:17-18)

I think it’s important to point out that in the Scriptures above from Jeremiah 31:31-34, God specifically says He will make a new covenant with both “the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” This indicates that the ten tribes of Israel of the northern kingdom that had been taken to Assyria were not lost forever; no, God explicitly tells us that this covenant applies to both the tribes of Israel and Judah. For anyone who believes that the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel have been lost forever, I simply ask them: have they even read the Bible? If they were lost forever, then why would God say what He said? Are they smarter than God? I think not. If anyone thinks that God has forgotten about the Jews and has forsaken them forever, let us read what God Himself says about the Jews:

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.” (Jeremiah 31:35-36)

For anyone who believes modern-day Israel is not the Israel that Jeremiah the prophet wrote about long ago, I ask you: have the sun, the moon, and the stars departed? The answer is clearly no, and neither have God’s people, the Jews. God, in His word, always tells us that He has always preserved a remnant of His people; they will never be wiped away from this earth. All the nations that come against Israel, including the USA, should do so cautiously, as they will suffer the same fate as all other nations that have come against it.

As I have written above and in previous devotionals in this study of Isaiah 49, this new and perpetual covenant is Jesus. Let us read again what God told Jesus in Isaiah 49:8

“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.” (Isaiah 49:8)

I believe the far fulfillment of the prophecy in today’s Scripture verse is when Jesus Christ will return to earth at His second coming and will reign with a rod of iron for 1,000 years. It is at His second coming that the surviving one-third remnant of Israel, who will have fled their land and endured their 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, will be gathered a final time in their land. However, this time will be different than all the other times when God removed them from their land because of their sins against Him.

At the time of Jesus’ first coming, many Jews were scattered across the Roman Empire. On May 14, 1948 the Jewish State of Israel was declared, and Jews have returned to Israel ever since. Israel’s population has increased from nearly 1.3 million in 1950 to 9.3 million in 2024 (See: https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/ISR/israel/population). Though many Jews have returned from many nations to modern-day Israel, the majority are living in unbelief, in rejection of their Messiah. However, when Jesus comes again at His second coming, the surviving remnant’s eyes and ears will be opened, and they will finally see that Jesus IS their Messiah, that He IS their good Shepherd. They will finally put their faith and trust in Him alone, not in themselves, not in other nations, and not in their false gods, and they will believe on Him forever and ever, never turning from Him again.

Fast-forward to today, though many Jewish people have returned to Israel, at least part of the land that God gave them long ago when God made the unconditional covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, Israel is not living in obedience to God. Israel has unilaterally as a nation rejected God’s Son Jesus Christ, whom God sent first to the Jews so that they might be saved by Him, the King of kings, if they put their faith and trust in Him - not in themselves, or any earthly king or man or nation, or the Mosaic Law to save them from all their sin.

I do not know the exact timing of the events prophesied in the Bible, but God does; His word is true and sure, all that He said would happen, will happen. The Bible tells us that there is coming a day when Jerusalem will be “a cup of trembling unto all the people round about” and “a burdensome stone,” and God Himself will be their defender:

“The burden [oracle or prophecy] of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)

“In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.” (Zechariah 12:8-14)

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite [strike] the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)

After Jesus came to earth the first time, Israel rejected their Shepherd and had Him crucified by the Roman Empire. In 70 AD, as Jesus said would happen, the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the second Jewish temple. Subsequently, many Jews were killed and many were further scattered among the Roman Empire.

As the prophets Zechariah and Ezekiel prophesied, there is coming a time when God will gather all His people back in their land and will pour out His grace upon His people. They will look upon Jesus, the One whom they pierced, and will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only begotten son. No longer will they live in in their land in rebellion against Him, and they will put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ:

“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen [nations], whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” (Ezekiel 37:21-28)

The prophetic words of today’s Scriptures verses from Isaiah 49:11-12 are not just referring to the remnant of the Jewish people who will return to their land and will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, but it also includes believers in Christ from all the Gentile nations who will come to Israel. God Himself will make a way for all His people, all His children. We will read more about this in Isaiah 49:13-26. God sent Jesus for ALL the world to be saved, for the Jew first, and when they rejected their Messiah, God then turned His attention to the Gentile nations.

Let us read the words of the apostle Paul, who himself was a Jew and a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul, who was also known as “Saul,” once persecuted the early Christians, but Jesus chose him to be His servant to preach the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ primarily to the Gentiles. Paul believed in Jesus Christ when he was literally blinded by the light of Jesus when he was traveling on a road to Damascus to persecute Christians. Paul clearly tells us that salvation was first given to the Jews, but also given to the Greek, meaning the non-Jews/Gentiles:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

The Bible tells us that God is the way maker; He will make a way - the only way - for His children, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:1-6)

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm [make firm] the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart [deer], and the tongue of the dumb [mute] sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons [jackals], where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way [road], and it shall be called The Way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein [go astray]. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35)

“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain [smooth]: and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:1-11)

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons [jackals] and owls [ostriches]: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen." (Isaiah 43:15-20)

“Then said they unto him [John the Baptist], Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He [John] said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:22-23)

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:1-3)

There is coming a day when Jesus Christ will return again and put an end to all wickedness. No more will people war against each other. No more will people curse the Jews, for they who cursed them will be destroyed by the mighty One of Jacob. Jesus will reign on earth for a thousand years, and afterward He will create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. Jews and Gentiles will live together in true and everlasting peace, for they will have turned their hearts to Jesus and been saved by Him, the sinless, perfect Lamb of God. They will worship Him with their whole heart, and they will know Him as their Savior, as their Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. God will dwell with them, and they shall be His people:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelation 21:1-7)

“And I saw no temple there: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten [illuminate] it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:22-27) ✝️

September 13, 2024: Isaiah 49:10 - They Shall Not Hunger Nor Thirst

“They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.” - Isaiah 49:10

The words in this Scripture that were spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, to whom God gave a single vision - let me repeat that, a single vision - to speak to the southern kingdom of Judah, when Israel was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, and also to speak to the people of the holy city of Jerusalem in Judah, were words of a future prophecy that extends far out into the future, over two thousand years from when Isaiah spoke the vision. In our fast-food, give-it-to-me-now world in which we live, it can be difficult to comprehend something like this that tells us of something that will happen - which hasn’t happened yet - but will happen according to God’s perfect timing. This prophecy from Isaiah will be fulfilled during the timeframe that is described in the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Based on all that I have read in the Bible, I believe this timeframe is drawing near, and that we are in the last moments of human history before the events in the book of Revelation begin. Let us read and see how this passage of Scripture from the book of Isaiah connects to the New Testament book of Revelation, and let us know that it is Jesus who connects it. Let us also know that the book of Revelation is all about Jesus.

The book of Revelation is written in the Greek language. The title of the book in Greek is “Apokalypsis Ioannou,” which means “Revelation of John.” The book was written by John the apostle when he was exiled on the island of Patmos by the Roman government. The book opens in the first verse with the words: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” In the Greek text, it is “Apokalypsis Iésous Christou.” The transliteration of “Apokalypsis” means “unveiling,” “disclosure”, or “revelation.” Remember back in Isaiah 49:1-3, Jesus is the One who is speaking, and He is speaking to the Gentiles. Jesus tells us that God has hidden Him in His (God’s) hand:

“Listen, O isles, unto me: and hearken, ye people, from far; the LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me: and said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” (Isaiah 49:1-3)

Contrast this with the book of Revelation, where instead of hiding Jesus in His hand, giving us glimpses of Him throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, God reveals or unveils Jesus to us. Remember, the book of Revelation is not in the Old Testament and was written approximately between 90 - 95 AD, around sixty years after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven after His first coming to earth. Is it any wonder that Satan is doing all that he can to persuade people, including many professing Christians and even so-called pastors, that they should not read the book of Revelation? He tells them that it’s too complicated, it’s full of symbolism, it’s already happened, it’s not going to happen, and anything and everything else he can say to prevent them from reading it. It makes sense that Satan would do everything in his power and with those who have aligned themselves with him, to stop people from reading the book of Revelation because it clearly tells us that he will be destroyed and cast into the everlasting fire by the power and might of Jesus Christ. It makes sense that Satan would convince people that they don’t need to read the book of Revelation when it clearly tells us that we who have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation will live with Him for 1,000 years on earth during His Millennial kingdom reign after He returns to earth at the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, also known as the tribulation period, when Jesus will reign with a rod of iron and sin will not be tolerated. It makes sense that Satan doesn’t want people to know that after Jesus’ 1,000-year reign on earth, He will destroy the earth by fire and will create a new heaven and a new earth, where all the pains, sorrows, struggles, and death that we experience on this current earth will be no more, and we will live with Jesus in our glorified bodies, our new sinless and perfect bodies, for eternity. We will never hunger nor thirst, for Jesus Christ is our living water.

Let us recall the words that Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well when she was fetching water. Before that, let’s set the context. John the Baptist had been approached by the Jews because John had been baptizing people and so too were the disciples of Jesus Christ baptizing people. The Jews pointed this out to John. John told them:

“Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he [Jesus] that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given to him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal [certified] that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:25-36)

John the baptizer spoke words of truth to the Jews, telling them that he is not the Christ but that Jesus is the Christ, having been sent by God, and that all who believe in Him will have everlasting but those who don’t believe will not have life but will have the wrath of God upon them. Most of the Jews rejected Jesus, though they were the ones to whom the message of salvation was first preached. Now, let us read what happened next when Jesus went to Samaria and met the Samaritan woman at the well.

The Samaritans were not Jews and were despised by the Jews. This woman was an outcast, as demonstrated by the fact that she came alone to get the water instead of with other women. She was living in sexual sin, and Jesus knew that and told her that, catching her off guard. However, Jesus didn’t reject her because of her sins and instead gave her the truth of salvation:

“When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) he left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go [needed to go] through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat [food].) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias [Messiah] cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” (John 4:1-30)

In our sinful and lost world today, many people say God is a misogynist. The passage of Scripture above clearly contradicts that lie of Satan, for Jesus spoke with not only a Samaritan, but a Samaritan woman, when the Jews wouldn’t even talk to her. The Jews despised the Samaritans, who were a people that were part Jew and Gentile. Gotquestions.org has a good article regarding the Samaritans at https://www.gotquestions.org/Samaritans.html. Not only was this woman despised by the Jews, but she was apparently considered an outcast by her own people because she had come alone to fetch water instead of with other women. Through her conversation with Jesus and the things He said to her that no stranger could know about her, she realized that He is the Christ of whom the Jewish prophets of God had foretold long ago would come. Jesus’ disciples then came up and saw Jesus speaking to her and wondered why He was speaking to her. Jesus wasn’t a misogynist; no, Jesus loved her and gave her the truth - that He is the Christ and that those who drink from the living water that only He could give her will have everlasting life. The Samaritan woman was so stunned by what she heard Him say to her that she left her waterpot, which was the whole reason why she had come to the well in the first place - to fill it - and went and told the men of her people about Him. Instead of filling her waterpot with the water that would need to be filled again and again, she left with heart being filled by the living water of God Himself, which would need to be filled only once. The next thing that she did was to go and tell others about Him, which is something all we who believe in Him and have put our faith and trust in Him for our salvation, should do, so that others might be saved in Him. Let us read what happened next:

“‘And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, he told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought [urged] him that he would tarry [stay] with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” (John 4:39-42)

Some of the Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony of Him, and some believed only after they went and sought Jesus for themselves and heard Him speak to them directly. Just as Isaiah and other prophets told us in the Scriptures, that Jesus came not only to save the Jews, but also the Gentiles, including the Samaritans even though they were despised by the Jews. Jesus came to offer salvation to all people, Jew or Gentile, male or female, free or slave, who believe on Him.

The Jews knew long before Jesus came the first time that their God, their Messiah, was coming, but when Jesus their Messiah came, they rejected Him because He wasn’t the God they thought He would be, whom they wanted Him to be: the conquering King who would free them from the grip of the Roman Empire that ruled over them. How many of us are like them who have a certain perception of what our God must be like in order for us to accept Him and to accept the truth?

Just like the Samaritan woman and her encounter with Jesus, we all need water to live and to sustain our temporary lives here on earth. However, when Jesus said only He could give her the water that if she drank of it, she would never thirst again, He wasn’t referring to the water that we drink from the earth that sustains our life only but a short time, but the water that we drink from Him, which He gives freely to all, that will sustain us forever, with Him.

As the book of Revelation clearly tells us, we who are believers in Christ who have been washed clean by the blood of Christ, will hunger and thirst no more. We are also told that no longer will the sun nor any heat strike us. People who are not believers in Christ and are not caught up to Him in the rapture before the start of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, also known as the tribulation period, will go through the tribulation period. The last 3-1/2 years of this time period, Jesus Himself described as the “great tribulation.” (Matthew 24:21) Everyone who is not raptured prior to the start of the tribulation period but who turns to Jesus Christ during it and puts their faith and trust in Him to save them from their sins, which very well may cost them their lives, will spend their eternity with Him. Many people will turn to Jesus and be saved during this time period:

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues [languages], stood before the throne, and before the Lamb [Jesus Christ], clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What [who] are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light [strike] them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed [shepherd] them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17)

Many people today believe there will be a great revival soon, when many people will turn to Jesus Christ and be born again, but that is not what the Bible tells us. No, it tells us that as we draw closer to the start of the tribulation period, the world will get worse and worse. Jesus described the events that would take place as the beginning of sorrows, which some Bible translations describe as birth pangs/pains, that would be signs indicating the nearness of His second coming and of the end of the world/age. May we also note that the first thing Jesus warned His disciples of was not to be deceived. The apostle Paul said there would be perilous times in the last days. Let us read what the Bible says about these times:

“And as he [Jesus] sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers [various] places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:3-8)

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent [without self-control], fierce [brutal], despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady [reckless], high-minded [haughty], lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

Do these descriptions of the condition of cultures all around the world at the time of the end sound like there will be a great revival in the church, with many people turning to Jesus Christ for their salvation? No, it is exactly the opposite! It is critical to note that Paul’s description of people’s attitudes at the time of the end is a description of those who are in the church, as evidenced by him saying, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Oh, how we see this today in many churches around the world, and I would venture to say in the majority of American churches. Paul also had this to say about people in the church, and we are there; we are at the time that Paul described in the Scripture below:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

When I read the words above, it reminds me of a recent advertising campaign that began to air in the USA during the 2023 Super Bowl that was called “He Gets Us” and which continues to air. These commercials are preaching a false Christ, just as Jesus said would happen. The commercials are pandering to those who don’t want the truth of God but their version of the “truth” and which does not convict them of their sin but which comforts them in their sin. All the signs that Jesus gave us are definitely indicating we are very close to the start of the tribulation period.

At the end of the 7-year tribulation period, heaven will be opened and King Jesus will ride upon a white horse, along with His army of saints, who are the believers in Christ who were caught up to Him in the clouds, i.e., raptured, before the start of the tribulation, and He will make war upon the wicked and unbelieving world. Let’s read what the book of Revelation tells us about His second coming:

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] 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. And he hath on his vesture [robe] and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16)

Jesus’ second coming will not be like His first coming, when He came as the sacrificial Lamb of God to offer salvation to all who would believe on Him for redemption of their sin; no, this time, He will come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This reference to Him as a lion is in chapter five of Revelation, when the apostle John saw that it was Jesus Himself who would open the seven seals of the book/scroll, thus beginning the start of the tribulation period:

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book [scroll] written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:1-14)

Jesus Himself will begin the tribulation period by opening the seven seals of the book, and He will end it when He comes to judge and make war with the unbelieving world. When He comes to make war, it will be too late for anyone to turn to Him and be saved if they have not been born again already, and they will be slain by the sword of His mouth.

Next, Jesus will reign on earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years, and at the end of it, the devil, also known as Satan and Lucifer, will be cast into the eternal lake of fire, where the final antichrist, called “the beast,” and his false prophet will already be (Revelation 19:20), and they will never escape from it. At the end of His millennial kingdom, Jesus will then will resurrect everyone whoever died, and they will stand before Him in judgment. Those who died in their sins will be found guilty and cast into the lake of fire because their names will not be written in the book of Life, for they chose sin over redemption. Believers in Christ will have their names written in the book of Life. (Revelation 20)

Next, Jesus will destroy the heavens and earth by fire (2 Peter 3:7) and will create a new heaven and a new earth. We who have received His offer of living waters will spend our eternity with Him on this new heaven and earth. However, there will be no unbelievers in this new heaven and earth, for they will have rejected Jesus’ free gift of salvation and instead chose to remain in their sin and shame. They will be in the lake of fire, forever thirsting, forever hungering for the word of God - Jesus Christ - who offered them the living waters when they were still alive but they chose to reject it:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst [who thirsts] of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8)

It sounds harsh but it is the truth. I refuse to sugarcoat the truth, like so many people who call themselves pastors are doing and have done for many years because they have caved to the sinful world, telling people what they want to hear, telling them “He gets us,” instead of what they need to hear. Jesus Christ truly loves us, and He gave His life for us to offer us redemption of our sins. It’s up to us whether we choose to accept that gift. Yes, Jesus is love, and part of loving us includes dealing with sin. Our world is growing darker and darker by the minute because it has rejected the truth of God to believe the lie of Satan. Sin is running rampant. Jesus would not be loving if He continued to let sin reign forever; He must put an end to it, once and for all, and that time is soon coming. Can you imagine if He just let people continue to get away with murder, rape, slaughtering of the most innocent, babes in the womb, stealing, lying, committing all kinds of deviant sexual sin, etc., and yet He did nothing about it? How would the victims of these crimes and their families feel toward Him if He did nothing about it? That would not be a god of love but a false god, which is exactly what Satan, the god of this world, wants: to create as much chaos as possible and to let sin run rampant and go unpunished.

The truth is, one day we will all die, and when we do, we will only take one of two things with us: our sin or our righteousness that only comes by our faith in Jesus Christ. There will be a day, judgment day, when all those who died in their sin will appear before His court and stand trial. They will be judged by their works, which are written in books that He has maintained. Their works are the things that they did in their lives. Because no one can be made righteous except by being born again by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, their names will not be found in the book of Life, and they will be found guilty and cast into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). God does not want this for us. That is why He sent us His Son Jesus Christ to live as one of us, experience all the pains and difficulties of life as we do, to walk and talk among us, to eat with us, and to tell us of God’s plan for salvation for us, which was prophesied long ago by the Old Testament prophets, including the prophet Isaiah. Sadly, as the majority of people who lived during Isaiah’s time rejected his warnings to them, so too do most people today reject the message of salvation, choosing instead to believe the lies of Satan, rejecting the bread of life and the living waters, rejecting God’s mercy, refusing to let Him lead them. Their choice will leave them forever hungering, forever thirsting, and that is the truth. I give you the truth, and what you do with it is up to you. ✝️

September 3, 2024: Isaiah 49:9 - Only Jesus Can Free Us from Sin and Darkness

“That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.” - Isaiah 49:9

We are all sinners in need of the Savior, Jesus Christ. What does sin do to us? It enslaves us to it, slowly at first, often without us even realizing it. At first, our sin feels good, pleasurable, but with time, it changes. It is like a boa constrictor, a serpent, that wraps itself around its prey, slowly squeezing its victim, as the victim tries to escape it. But the more the prey resists, the more pressure the serpent applies, squeezing it even tighter so that it restricts, cuts off the blood supply to the heart, brain, and other organs, until the person within the serpent’s strong hold gives up its life, succumbing to the serpent. This is what sin does; it literally takes our life from us, causing our heart and our brain not to receive the nourishing blood that it needs to sustain life and to think rationally. And, it’s not only our temporary life here on earth that our sin takes from us, but also our eternal life, which God planned for us - and wants us - to spend with Him. However, when we choose to remain in our sin and not accept God’s free gift of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, we are telling Satan, the serpent, that we choose him over God, and we give him full access to our lives, and that includes our eternal life. It is only Jesus the Christ who can break these bonds of sin, the chains of the serpent Satan that bind us. Only Jesus can bring us out of darkness and into the light, the beautiful light that He emits with His radiance and glory. The light that evil hates, for evil loves the darkness.

Have you ever noticed how dark the world has become? Not too long ago, probably around twenty years or so, when my husband and I used to go to the movies, I told him that I noticed how dark, how sinister the movies had become, even children’s movies. No longer was there light present in them, but most of the movies had this dark aura about them. It was not my imagination; it was purposeful, because in recent years, Satan and all that he is - wicked, evil, perverted - has overcome not only the movie industry but much of the world today, particularly in America. The colors of red and black are prominent in movies, in opening ceremonies of large events and spectacles, and even in US presidential addresses to the nation. The theme of the majority of movies and TV series is sin: sexual fornication and perversion, violence and death, vile language, drugs, drugs, and more drugs, and on and on it goes. Why is all of this happening? Because instead of the world loving God and His Son Jesus Christ, it loves darkness and hates the light. Those that hate the light of Jesus will be voluntarily chained to their sin, and for now, Satan is the holder of those chains. Jesus Himself told us this fact:

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved [exposed].” (Jesus Christ; John 3:19-20)

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The apostle Paul also wrote about this in the book of Romans and reminded the people that we are either servants to sin or to righteousness:

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:16-18)

Isaiah prophesied of the Light, Jesus Christ, long before Jesus would come to the earth the first time, and how the Light would break the chains of bondage and set the captives (of sin) free:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because of the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up [heal] the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Jesus Himself quoted these words from the prophet Isaiah when He spoke to the Jews at the synagogue in Nazareth:

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised [oppressed], to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them. This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears [hearing].” (Luke 4:16-21)

Jesus told us that what we take in, what we look at with our eyes, will affect whether we gravitate toward Him - the Light of the world - or toward Satan, the darkness of the world. Satan will tempt us with riches - money - and many people have literally sold their soul to him in exchange for money, status, and/or power. Jesus tells us that must decide whether we will serve Him or money; we cannot serve both:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single [healthy], thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil [unhealthy], thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold [be loyal] to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [riches].” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 6:19-24)

Isaiah wrote about gross darkness covering the earth, and that the glory of the Lord, the light of Jesus Christ, would come and bring salvation to the Gentiles:

“Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together [become radiant], and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces [wealth] of the Gentiles [nations] shall come unto thee.” (Isaiah 60:1-5)

This is referring to the last days when after the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, meaning Israel’s trouble, when God turns His attention back to Israel. Ever since Jesus died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, God’s attention has been on the non-Jews, the Gentiles, in the world, offering them salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. While Jews can and have been saved during this period, the focus during this time period, which is nearly 2,000 years, has been on the Gentiles. However, once the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, meaning it is complete (Romans 11:25), God will turn His attention back to Israel, and it will be during the time of Jacob’s trouble. During this 7-year period, not only the Jews, but everyone alive on earth who will be old enough to decide whether they believe in their heart that Jesus is their Savior but who will reject His free gift of salvation, will go through a time of tribulation such as never been known to mankind, nor never will occur again. At the end of this time period, Jesus Christ will return at His second coming. He will put an end to all the wicked alive at that time, reign for 1,000 years, destroy the heavens and earth by fire, and create a new heaven and a new earth, on which all believers in Him who ever lived will live with Him for eternity. Unlike the current earth that relies on the sun for its light, this new earth will rely on the Son for the light:

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten [illuminate] it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:22-27)

It seems nearly every TV show or movie uses the name of Jesus in a derogatory way, and it is because they hate Him and they love the darkness. I remember the 1982 horror movie called “Poltergeist.” The one line I can remember from the entire movie was “Don’t go into the light.” Why is that? Because it wants to portray the light as something bad, and they want this thought to enter into your subconscious without you even realizing it. Satan is very deceptive and will use whatever tools he has available to him to deceive people. It’s not only Satan doing this but those who are aligned with him, which includes one-third of the angels who were cast out of heaven when they chose to align themselves with him instead of God. They are deceiving people in our world on a scale that I’ve never seen before in my lifetime.

The apostle John said that we must not desire to walk in darkness but to walk in the light of Jesus Christ:

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

Without Jesus having washed us clean from our sins, we do not have His light within us. Thus, unbelievers do not shine His light, and we should not desire to be like them but to be like Him:

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

Satan wants to poison us with his venom, with his lies of deception. He tells us it’s okay to commit a little sin, after all, we’re “only human.” It’s okay to remain in sexual fornication as long as it makes us happy, or that we’re born that way. It’s okay to smoke a little pot, drink a little alcohol, or take another drug to help us relax. It’s okay to take a long glance at someone who is not our spouse because “looking doesn’t hurt anyone.” It’s okay to stop reading the Bible and to stop praying to God when our days are just so doggone busy and we’re just tired, you see. It’s okay to pray to God to make us rich, because He wants us to be healthy, wealthy, and wise. All of these are Satan’s lies from the pit of hell. The Bible makes it clear: yes, we are all sinners, but we must fight against our sinful nature each and every day and never give in to temptation, like Eve did when she gazed at the fruit on the one and only tree in the garden of Eden of which God forbade her husband Adam and her to eat and if they did, they would surely die, and they did, taking with them the curse of sin that has been passed to every single person born since then. A little poison still poisons us, and Satan knows that.

When we decide we are tired of the darkness and that we need the light of Jesus in our lives, when we see that we are bound in chains to our sin and we finally reach the point that we want to be liberated from our sin and we call out to Him to save us, not only will He save us from our sins, but He will lead us like a loving and faithful Shepherd to His sheep, tenderly caring for us, walking with us to show us the way, and to lead us, if we will finally release that control to Him. Like a shepherd who finds a good pasture on which to feed his sheep, so too does Jesus lead us to good pastures, where we can eat, while He guards us as the good shepherd.

Long before Jesus Christ came to earth the first time, the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel wrote about the shepherds of Israel and criticized them because they had not taken care of their flocks, the Jewish people, but were taking care of themselves, feeding themselves first with the best of everything and giving the scant leftovers to the people. They weren’t true shepherds to the people but hirelings, as Jesus would later call them, who didn’t care about their flocks and when trouble came, the false shepherds would leave their flocks, putting them at risk:

“My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them…” (Jeremiah 50:6-7)

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to [food for] all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; as I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; thus saith the Lord GOD; behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat [food] for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat [rich] pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:1-16)

I believe the prophesy from Ezekiel was a two-fold or dual-fulfillment, prophesy, which we see often in the Bible, with the first fulfillment that happened in the times of the Old Testament before Jesus’ first coming, and the second fulfillment in the times after Jesus’ first coming in the New Testament, which is still yet to happen. The first fulfillment was in fact spoken by the prophet Ezekiel to warn Israel’s shepherds, the religious leaders, that judgment would come upon them. God gave Ezekiel some very harsh words of truth to speak to Israel’s shepherds. In the first fulfillment, God said His people, the Jews, and their false shepherds had been taken out of their land and scattered, exactly as had been prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah, but that He would bring back His sheep from the nations to which they had been scattered, which was in Babylon and also a small remnant from Assyria, and He would bring them back in their land, which in fact did happen after their 70-year captivity in Babylon.

Notice in Ezekiel 34:1 that it says, “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel…” I believe this reference to the “Son of man” is referring to Jesus Christ, and will be fulfilled when Jesus returns to earth at the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, when the remaining one-third remnant of the Jews who survive that horrific time period, will be brought back into their land a final time, never to be scattered again.

At His first coming, Jesus Himself did tell the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, who were alive when Jesus walked the earth the first time, that they are not the true and good shepherds of the sheep, the people of Israel, but that He is their true and good Shepherd of the sheep:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter [doorkeeper] openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling [hired man], and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:1-15)

Jesus did not sugarcoat His words to the Pharisees; no, He gave them the truth, and it was not well received. Jesus also gives us the truth, and He is clear: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Jesus then told them something that should not have surprised them because it was prophesied hundreds of years prior in the Old Testament, including in Isaiah 49:6, shown below, which I have written about in a prior devotional:

“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

These are the words that Jesus spoke of to the Pharisees that Isaiah had written about long ago:

“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold [flock], and one shepherd.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:16)

Then and there, Jesus told them the truth that salvation would not only be offered to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, which are the “other sheep” He referred to in the scripture above, and that He would be their one and only shepherd, who would shepherd all the sheep that would be in flock; no longer would there be separation by Jew and Gentile. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, the apostle Paul would later write of this to the churches of Galatia:

“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) and all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory or ever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:1-5)

“For ye are all the children [sons] of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile/non-Jew], there is neither bond [slave] nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  (Galatians 3:26-29)

Once we are saved, born again by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to deliver us out of our sin, we become a new creation, and there is no more division by Jew or Gentile, free or slave, male or female, but we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. In our world that is increasingly doing things to divide us into buckets by race, sexual choices, what sex we are, political affiliation, denomination, and by so many other divisions, we must realize that the source of this division is Satan. Satan knows that if he can divide us, we will fall. Jesus warned the Jewish Pharisees of this:

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 12:25)

However, for those of us who have been born again, we are all sons and daughters of God, we are the bride of Christ, we are His church, and Satan will not prevail against us. Early in His ministry on earth when Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13), it was Simon Peter, also called Simon Bar-jona, who answered Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied to Peter, saying:

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 16:17-19)

Once we are saved by Jesus, He will feed us along our journey with Him, He will provide, for He is our Good Shepherd. He will make the way for us, even when we are fearful and don’t know what to do. If we will listen to Him as He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and let Him guide us on the way, we will come to the point where no matter what is happening in our lives, whether we are going through a major trial in our life or we are experiencing a time when things are good, we will see that we can rely and trust in Him no matter what, we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will never leave us nor forsake us, as His word tells us in both Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5. When we have come to that point, no longer will we hunger and thirst for the things of this world, for He will fulfill all those needs in us:

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

There is a difference between reading those words in the Bible and really believing them. When we finally believe them and that He is our Good Shepherd, we can be at peace, no matter the chaos that might be surrounding us, and in Him, we can have joy and we can have rest:

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psalm 23) ✝️

August 18, 2024: Isaiah 49:8 - In a Day of Salvation Have I Helped Thee

“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages…” - Isaiah 49:8

Long before God sent Jesus to the earth to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and to be born of a virgin, He told us in His word that not only would He send Jesus at just the right time, but that He would hear and help Jesus, preserve Him, and give Him as a covenant of the people. Jesus would also establish the earth, and He would inherit all the desolate heritages. The prophets of old told of Jesus’ first coming long before Jesus would come. God gave us glimpses of Jesus in the Old Testament Scriptures, so that when He came the first time, His people, the Jews, would recognize Him as their Messiah. As written in Isaiah 49:2-3:

“And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; and said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” (Isaiah 49:2-3)

Salvation from sins is found only in Jesus Christ. The day of salvation was only made possible when Jesus was crucified, when His perfect and sinless blood was spilled on that cross, when He died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, where He sits now at the right hand of God the Father. Without the Lamb of God being our perfect sacrifice, we would still be under God’s law, but Jesus fulfilled the law and provides salvation from sins for all who choose to believe in and put our faith and trust in Him and Him alone to save us from our sin.

Let us read what Jesus said after He gave up His life on the cross, resurrected three days later, and appeared in the midst of His apostles:

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all these things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved [was necessary for] Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:44-48)

God chose the perfect time to send Jesus. Before Jesus would come, one would come before Him to prepare the way of the Lord, and his name was John, who would also be known as John the Baptist. John was Jesus’ cousin. John’s father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied the words below on the day of circumcision of John when John was eight days old:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the works began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation into his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring [Messiah] from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:68-79)

The apostle John wrote of John the Baptist:

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness of the Light [Jesus], that all men through him might believe. He [John] was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came into his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons [children] of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made [became] flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bear witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace, for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. And this is the record [testimony] of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizeth thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record [testified], saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” (John 1:6-37)

God sent John the Baptist to prepare not only His people for their Savior, their Messiah, but also to be a witness of the Light for the Gentiles. Because God is all knowing, He knew the Jews would reject Jesus because of their hardened hearts, and that afterwards, He would turn His attention to the Gentiles to provoke His people to jealousy until He will turn His attention back to the Jews (Romans 11:11). I believe we are drawing very near to that time.

Jesus did come to the earth, was despised and rejected by His own, was crucified, and gave up His life. He felt as though God had abandoned Him when He felt the unfathomable weight of the world’s sin upon Him. As He hung on that cross, He must have felt unrelenting sorrow and pain coursing through His veins, and He thirsted for a drink of cool water. With a loud voice, He cried out to God in agony, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Jesus felt and experienced what it was like to take on my sin, your sin, and the sins of everyone who has ever lived, and He took those sins to the cross even though He Himself had never sinned. He was and is the perfect, spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world for all who put our faith and trust in Him to save us from our sins. Evil, Satan, thought he had won. He thought he had defeated the Christ, but that wasn’t the end; rather, it was just the beginning. As God promised Jesus in Isaiah 49:8, He DID help Jesus through His time of agony on the cross, because those who crucified Him did not take His life; rather, Jesus willingly gave it up. Jesus said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” (Luke 23:46) and saying these words “It is finished” (John 19:30) before “he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost [his spirit].” (John 19:30) You see, Jesus had to die for the new covenant, the new testament, to be enacted, for it takes the death of the testator for it to go into effect:

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:19-20)

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge [cleanse] your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament [covenant], that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament [covenant], they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” (Hebrews 9:14-16)

As God promised, He DID preserve Jesus because Jesus did not stay dead after His body was placed in a rich man’s tomb: He rose from the dead three days later. Jesus didn’t just die on the cross - He rose again, showed Himself to over 500 people at a single time (1 Corinthians 15:6), walked, talked, and ate with His disciples, expounded to two of His disciples all the things prophesied of Himself in the Scriptures as they traveled to Emmaus (Luke 24), and ascended to heaven forty days later, where He is now, sitting at the right hand of God. Jesus is not a dead God; He IS the true and living God. He will ultimately establish a new earth and will give it as an inheritance to all who trust in Him for our salvation and who have been made by righteous through His precious blood, having all our sins washed clean:

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:1-8)

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.” (Daniel 7:18)

“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Daniel 7:27)

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8)

God’s word is truth, and to deny the truth is to allow one to be deceived by the lies, which stem from Satan. I can’t make you believe in Him, that Jesus is the Christ sent to the world so that we might be saved by Him. No, all I can do is tell you of Him, provide Scripture verses from His word that show that long ago we were told by God that Jesus would come the first time as the perfect Lamb of God to offer salvation to all who put our faith and trust in Him for our salvation, and that God’s word also tells us that Jesus is coming back again, but this time it will be in judgement of all who reject Him and choose to remain in sin. Those who reject Him will not inherit the kingdom of God but will be cast into the eternal lake fire. You may not like that fact, and you may not believe it, but I give you the truth and what you do with it is up to you and you alone.

Please know that if you have not been born again before you die, it will be too late to turn to Him after you are dead. Let us remember the words of Jesus who told us of a rich man who had everything and lived in luxury and of a beggar named Lazarus, who begged the rich man for just the crumbs that fell from the man’s table. Let us read what happened when both men died. The rich man had not put his faith and trust in God for his salvation but the beggar had:

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously [lived in luxury] every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Jesus Christ; Luke 16:19-31)

Although this is describing two Jewish men, the message is clear for all of us: Jesus Himself told us that hell is real, and so is heaven, referred to here as “Abraham’s bosom,” meaning a place of rest and free from torment, unlike hell, where only torments exist. We all will go to one of these two places when die, and where we go is our decision to make. Many people, including many pastors, say that hell is not real - have they not read these words of Jesus? They can fool themselves, and sadly, they are fooling many people who do not read the Bible for themselves to learn the truth, but that doesn’t change the truth. The rich man even asked for someone to go and warn his five living brothers so that they would not make the same mistake that he did. But the rich man was told that even if he could rise from the dead and go and warn them them, that his brothers, like the rich man, have the truth in God’s word and if they don’t believe it, they wouldn’t believe his brother’s warnings about being in hell, and they would not repent and turn to God. I pray that you will not make the same horrible mistake that the rich man did and instead you will choose eternal life with Jesus, a place of true peace and rest, free from all sin and sorrow. We can only have eternal life with Jesus if we are born again by His precious blood and believing in Him as our Savior. All who are not born again will be judged by their works. Because no work they could ever do could save them, they will be found guilty and cast into the lake of fire for eternity:

“And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Jesus Christ; Revelation 22:12-13)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Jesus Christ; John 3:16-18) ❤️ ✝️

August 4, 2024: Isaiah 49:7- God has Chosen Jesus

“Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.” - Isaiah 49:7

God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to His people, the nation of Israel, the people whom long ago God set apart from all the other nations, to reveal to them that they cannot save themselves. He sent Jesus to them to show them that their hearts had turned against Him and that they needed to return to Him. He sent Jesus to show them that they needed their Savior, their prophesied Messiah.

The prophet Isaiah was given a burdensome vision from God to tell it to his fellow Jews. God’s people, who had once been unified, had become divided into two kingdoms - the northern kingdom of Israel that was comprised of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah, that had only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It was God who was the One who had divided the kingdom. God had told King Solomon that He would do this after Solomon died because of Solomon’s sins against Him when he worshipped and sacrificed to the false gods of his many pagan wives (1 Kings 11:7-13). God did exactly as He said He would do:

“And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam [King Solomon’s son] was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.” (1 Kings 12:20-21).

Israel was still a divided nation when Isaiah prophesied to the kingdom of Judah during the reign of four kings. While Isaiah’s vision, which was given in a single, long vision and is written across 66 chapters, is burdensome, the message of the vision would end with words of hope. Let us read of the words God gave to Isaiah that told the Jews why calamity and sorrow would come upon them:

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amor, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified [soothed] with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion [Jerusalem] is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread [trample] my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with [endure]; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” (Isaiah 1:1-15)

God was the One who had given them His law and His commandments to follow, which included sacrifices and offerings. However, here He is saying He doesn’t want their many sacrifices and offerings as they meant nothing to Him because they meant nothing to His people. Instead of following God with their heart, they were just sticking to tradition and not letting God’s law change them from the inside out. They were rotten to the core, and God could see that because He created them. He knew them, though they did not know Him. They ignored His warnings to them about the judgment that would come upon them if they continued in their sinful ways. They didn’t listen to Him when He said, “Woe unto them” four separate times:

“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: that say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward [a bribe], and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 5:20-24)

Merriam-webster.com defines “woe” as “a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief.” In this case, their woe is a direct result of their sin against God. Because God gave us free will and a brain of our own to think with, He won't stop us from sinning, and He will let us experience the consequences, oftentimes which are devastating, that come when we sin against Him. This is true for all of us, including for the Jews. It is during these dark times of going through the consequences of our own sin that we may realize our need for Him and turn to Him, and that has happened repeatedly with the Jews.

The book of Isaiah not only speaks of the prophesied judgments that would come - and did come - upon the southern kingdom of Judah, but it also contains many prophecies of the then-first coming and the yet-future second coming of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. It is in Jesus alone that salvation can be found; it is He who is the true light and the only One who can provide true peace. Let us read some of these prophecies:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God With Us].” (Isaiah 7:14)

“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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

There are also prophecies that extend way out into future times, the times that God in Isaiah chapter 2 refers to as “the last days.”

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:1-5)

Many of these prophecies have not yet been fulfilled, but will be, for the word of God is true. It is during the last days that Jesus Christ will come to earth a second time at the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, also known as the tribulation period. Jesus’ second coming will be very different from His first coming. When He first came to earth, He came as the suffering servant of God, whereas at His second coming, He will come as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS and will rightfully and righteously destroy all people who will choose to reject His free gift of salvation and instead will choose to follow the final demonic antichrist. The final antichrist is Satan’s man of sin who, with the false prophet, will lead all who rejected Christ into hell. At His second coming, Jesus will cast the antichrist and the false prophet into the eternal lake of fire. Jesus will then reign on earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years:

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond [slave], both small and great. And I saw the beast [antichrist], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-21)

At Jesus’ second coming, He will finally take His reign on earth and will rule righteously with a rod of iron for a period of 1,00 years, a time period known as the Millennial Kingdom. At the beginning of His reign, He will bind and cast Satan into the bottomless pit for the 1,000 years. The Millennial Kingdom is different than the eternal state, when all believers in Christ will receive their new and glorified bodies and will be without sin. In the Millennial Kingdom, people who were not saved prior to the start of the tribulation period but turned to Christ during it and survived the tribulation period, will live on earth and will still sin. However, sin will not be tolerated as it is today; Jesus will stop it immediately, for as the Scripture above says, “he shall rule them with a rod of iron.” There will be no more war, and it will be a time of peace, as God intended for the world to have but has not known since before the fall of Adam and Eve. During the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ, there will be people who die, but they will die at a much older age, as described in the Scripture below. In addition, people will work and will enjoy the fruits of their labor instead of working for someone else who enjoys the rewards of their hard work:

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days [live but a few days], nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:20-25)

At the end of His Millennial reign, Jesus will release Satan from the bottomless pit. The people who will have lived on earth during the 1,000-year period with Jesus reigning as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS will now have a choice to make: are they with Jesus or against Him? Do they want to follow Him or follow Satan? Not surprisingly, there will be people who follow Satan. This shows us that no matter how “good” the world could be, with Satan not being there to tempt people into sinning, sin will still exist in the hearts of those alive at the time of the Millennial Kingdom. At that point, God will destroy every person who will choose to align themselves with Satan and against God. God will then cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire and brimstone, where his evil coparts, the antichrist and false prophet will already be, and they will remain there forever.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)

Jesus will then resurrect to life and judge every single person who ever lived and who died in their sins because they rejected His free gift of salvation. At His great white throne judgment, Jesus will judge them based on their works, the things that they did when they lived. Jesus will find all of them guilty because, as the apostle Peter wrote of in the Scripture below, nothing else can save us from our sins but being washed in the blood of Jesus Christ when we believe in Him as our Redeemer. Only those saved in Him will have their names written in the book of life. Having been found guilty of their sins, Jesus will then cast all unbelievers into the lake of eternal fire:

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21)

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10-15)

This will include all the people who will be here on earth during the 7-year tribulation period and who will take the mark of the beast (antichrist) and worship him, for they will hate Jesus and will love antichrist and Satan, also known as the dragon. Are we not already seeing the set up for this in our world today, with a growing number of people in the world embracing Satanism and technology speeding towards the marking of people in order for people to live their lives, to buy and sell?

“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.” (Revelation 13:8)

Next, Jesus will destroy the current heavens and earth by fire:

“For this they willingly are ignorant of [forget], that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word kept in store, reserved unto fire against [until] the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:5-7)

Just as in the days of Noah, the people of the world were deep in their sin and thought the world would just continue on as it always was. They were willfully ignorant of the word of God, likely mocking Noah when he built the ark that would safely house him and his seven family members and all the animals that God sent to him to be saved from the flood. The sinners were unsuspecting when He destroyed all but Noah and his family when God sent the great flood. So shall it be when God will destroy the heavens and the earth by fire. God will then create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. All believers in Christ will live on that new earth, and it is at that time that death and sorrow will be no more. Let us read of this from the book of Revelation:

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

God sent Jesus, knowing He would be despised and rejected of men, but God sent Him anyway:

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm [the power] of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness [splendour]; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of [struck down by] God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:1-3)

At His first coming to earth when He began teaching, Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees of their hypocrisy. Instead of listening to Him and realizing that they had been hypocritical in their teachings and their own actions, His words angered them. Jesus called them out for not doing what they preached to others. Jesus was despised and rejected by His own, just as the prophets long ago prophesied would happen:

“Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms [place of honour] at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased [humbled]; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted [lifted up].” (Matthew 23:1-12)

Jesus told those who were listening to Him that they were to do what the scribes and Pharisees said they should do but they should not do as the scribes and Pharisees did because they were not practicing what they preached. The scribes and Pharisees had the best of everything, and yet did not follow God’s commandments to them. Jesus told them that if the scribes and Pharisees were great among them, then they would serve the people, but they did not. Instead, they exalted themselves above the people, and they also exalted themselves above and looked down upon Jesus Christ. Oh, how Jesus’ words must have stung the scribes and Pharisees who heard him speak! Seven times Jesus said, “Woe unto you!” Of all people, these religious leaders should have known better, and yet, they were leaving their flocks, their sheep, without a shepherd. This is even prophesied in the book of Ezekiel:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to [food for] all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.” (Ezekiel 34:1-6)

As prophesied in the book of Isaiah, God would send One who IS the good shepherd and who would take care of the sheep:

“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:10-11)

When Jesus was speaking specifically to the scribes and Pharisees, He pronounced seven woes to them, and an eighth woe when He addressed them as blind guides. He pronounced these woes because they had not taken care of the sheep, the people who were looking to them for guidance and leading. The scribes and the Pharisees were not being good shepherds to the people and were only serving themselves, while pretending to be something they were not. Let us read this in its entirety to truly get a sense of what Jesus had to say to them:

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make a long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass [travel] sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted [neglected] the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess [self-indulgence]. Thou blind Pharisees, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers [whitewashed tombs], which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity [lawlessness]. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure [measure of guilt] of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 23:13-39)

Jesus did not sugarcoat His words: He spoke the truth in order to get to the heart of the matter: the scribes and the Pharisees worshipped God only with their mouths and not with their hearts. They wanted all the blessings of God but did want to be obedient to Him. They served only themselves and neither God nor the people, and they had damned themselves to hell. They were blindly leading people straight to hell because they refused to obey God’s commandments to them while expecting people “lower” than themselves to obey God. Jesus then told them that they would persecute and kill the prophets that Jesus would send to them, and that the righteous blood of the prophets would be on their hands. And that is exactly what happened then and is still happening today at an increasing rate around the world. Just as the prophets of old that God sent before Jesus came the first time were persecuted, so too the prophets who came after His death and resurrection would be persecuted.

Below are just two examples of the persecution of Christians at the hand of the Jews, the first example being the apostle Peter. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and after the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was with the apostle John. Peter had healed a lame man, and the man was then able to walk. Let us read the words of Peter. You can feel his appeal to his fellow Jewish brothers, trying to get them to see that it was not by any power of him or John that the lame man was healed and made able to walk but by his faith in Jesus Christ. Peter told them of their sins against God by their rejection of His Son, Jesus Christ, and he urged them to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus. But they did not repent. Sadly, most Jews today still reject their Messiah.

“And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by [foretold by] the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution [restoration] of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved [greatly disturbed] that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold [custody] unto the next day: for it was now eventide [evening]. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of men was about five thousand.” (Acts 3:11-4:4)

Peter and John were put into custody because they spoke the truth of Jesus Christ. Nothing has changed in nearly 2,000 years as we still see Christians being imprisoned for speaking the truth of Jesus Christ. Praise God that after Peter had spoken, that 5,000 men were saved by believing in Jesus Christ! Let us continue reading what happened after Peter and John were put into custody:

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred [family] of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined [are judged] of the good deed done to the impotent [helpless] man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of [rejected by] you builders, which is become the head of the corner [chief cornerstone]. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned [uneducated] and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them [realized that], that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest [known] to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly [severely] threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they call them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to heaven unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.” (Acts 4:5-21)

Did you catch what the Jewish leaders said? They acknowledged that in fact a miracle had been performed and that all the people in Jerusalem had seen that miracle. They then prohibited Peter and John from telling others about the saving power of Jesus. These leaders KNEW the power of Jesus Christ, for they had seen it with their own eyes and yet denied Peter and John from speaking of it. They were threatened by the power of Jesus Christ and did not want it to spread. If there is no power in His name, then why are people then and now so threatened by it? It is because there IS power in His name. Did Peter and John cower down to the leaders and agree to their threats? No, they said they must obey God first and cannot but speak about the things they had seen and heard from Jesus. Peter and John knew there would be consequences that would come by obeying God, but they trusted in God and were obedient to Him when the rulers commanded something that was in defiance of God’s commandments to them. This strength they had was given to them by the Holy Spirit that was now residing in them, just as the Holy Spirit resides in all who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation.

Let us read another example of persecution by the Jewish leaders towards the early believers in Jesus Christ. This second example is of Stephen, who was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ:

“Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before [foretold] of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling [as he was calling] upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep [died].” (Acts 7:52-60)

As we read earlier in Matthew 23, Jesus did not want His people, the Jews, to reject Him. He even told them that He longed for Jerusalem to come to Him and let Him gather them, as a mother hen gathers her chickens under wings, as a protector of her young. But that is not what they wanted Him to do, and they would not let Him do it. Instead, they chose to have Him crucified, thinking that would be the end of their problems with Him.

Sometime before He was crucified, Jesus told them that HE is the good shepherd of the sheep, that His sheep know His voice and that He knows them, and that He would give His life for His sheep:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter [doorkeeper] openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:1-18)

What was the response of the Jews when they heard Him speak these words? Let us read it:

“There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil [demon], and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” (John 10:19-21)

On another occasion, a man who was possessed by a demon was brought to Jesus to have it cast out of him. Let us read this account and the response of the Pharisees:

“As they went out, behold, they brought to him [Jesus] a dumb [mute] man possessed with a devil [demon]. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted [were weary], and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:32-36)

As attested to by their own people, Israel had never seen such a thing where the mute was made to speak, the blind made to see, and the lame made to walk; it was not the Pharisees that had done these things but only Jesus. This must have infuriated the Pharisees, and instead of giving God the glory for these healings, they accused Jesus of doing those things through the power of Satan. Their hearts were hardened as stone against Him because of their pride and their lust to retain their perceived power. Jesus was despised by His own, the ones for whom He came to save but who rejected Him as their prophesied Messiah. In the end, the scribes and the Pharisees appealed to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who ruled over them in Judea, to have Jesus crucified, and He was. As Jesus was hanging on the cross, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying:

“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:42-43)

However, it wasn’t just the Jews who mocked and hated Him, for the Romans despised Him as well. After the Roman governor Pilate had given the Jews a choice of whether to release Jesus or a murderer named Barabbas, the Jews chose Barabbas. Let us read the Roman soldiers’ reactions to Jesus being crucified on that cross:

“But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for [because of] envy. But the chief priests moved [stirred up] the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out there exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people [wanting to gratify the crowd], released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band [cohort]. And they clothed him with purple, and platted [twisted] a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote [struck] him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. And when they had crucified him, they parted [divided] his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Mark 15:9-26)

To this day, people all over the world still mock Jesus, just as we have seen with the recent 33rd Olympics opening ceremony in Paris, France, where people blasphemously mocked the last supper, the last meal that Jesus had with His apostles before He was crucified. Nothing has changed in nearly 2,000 years; unbelievers - the unsaved - still mock Him, but there is coming a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion [in appearance] as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus Christ came to earth the first time to save His own, the Jews, but having rejected Him, as prophesied He turned His attention to the Gentiles, for a time, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25). The time is drawing oh-so-near when He will turn His attention back to the Jews during a 7-year period known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. At the end of it, a one-third remnant of the Jews will be saved by their faith in Him, to the glory of God the Father. Darkness will be turned to light, and believers in Christ will be gathered together in Zion (Jerusalem) to give praise and glory to God the Father:

“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard [banner] against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD from henceforth and for ever. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” (Isaiah 59:19-60:5)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:25-26)

There is coming a day when kings and princes who have been born again by believing in Jesus Christ will fall down before Him and serve Him, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, when He takes His rightful reign for 1,000 years upon the earth and afterwards, when He creates a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem:

“In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.” (Psalm 72:7-11)

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:22-27)

As the days grow darker and the world continues to embrace evil and wickedness and until we are gathered together with our beloved Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, let us remember and hold onto the words of the apostle Peter:

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile [deceit] found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again [in return]; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes [wounds] ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop [overseer] of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:21-25) ✝️

July 17, 2024: Isaiah 49:6 - God Gave Us Jesus to be His Salvation

“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” - Isaiah 49:6

In this verse and in others, God clearly lets us know that Jesus would come to earth first as God’s servant. Jesus would be obedient to the Father, even to death. Jesus would suffer many things and yet, He willingly did what God had Him do, even though knowing that His own people would reject Him.

Let’s consider what a servant does. A servant serves people. Merriam-Webster.com defines a servant as, “one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer.” When Jesus came to earth, He not only served God, but He also served people. He taught them, healed them, fed them, and He loved them. He showed them things they thought they would never see in their lifetimes, such as the time when Jesus’ apostles saw Him walking on water. Jesus even washed His disciples’ feet before He went to the cross. All of this He did to the glory of His Father and in obedience to Him. Isaiah 42 contains another prophecy of Jesus being God’s servant:

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up [raise his voice], nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench [extinguish]: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of [to] the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1-9)

God told His people, the Jews, in His own words long before it happened that He was going to do a new thing. He told the Jews, whose Old Testament, as authored by God and which we have for ourselves to read, we see how God told us what was going to happen before it happened so that we can know with complete certainty that He IS Almighty God and His word IS truth. Jeremiah, another prophet of God, wrote of this new thing that God would do:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

With this new covenant, they will follow God with their hearts; they will have a desire in them to love Him, and to please and to praise Him with all their being, instead of rebelling against Him, as they had time and time again when they would not follow His law. God wrote of this through Isaiah below:

“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: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do 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.” (Isaiah 29:13-14)

Many of the Jews only gave lip service to their worship and love for God and did not worship Him with their heart. We are all like His people, the Jews, and that is why we need Jesus. That is why God sent Jesus. The Jews could never keep God’s law because they are all sinners, just like us. When Jesus came to earth the first time, He told His disciples that He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [the smallest letter] or one tittle [the smallest stroke in a Hebrew letter] shall in no wise [by no means] pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 5:17-18)

God did do a new thing when He sent Jesus because no longer would His people have to offer up sacrifices continually to Him in order to cleanse them of their sins. Instead, Jesus IS the perfect, sacrificial Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, meaning without any sin, who takes away the sin of the world, as proclaimed by John the Baptist:

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him [Jesus]. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” (John 1:29-37)

When Jesus was crucified and was hanging on that cross, before He gave up His life, He said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). No longer would sin have to be atoned for by offering up sacrifices to God, for Jesus IS the sacrifice for all who believe in Him. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law.

In writing this devotional, I noticed something interesting. In the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 31:31 where it says that God “will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,” the word God used is “covenant.” Merriam-webster.com defines “covenant” as “a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action.” However, the night before Jesus was crucified and broke bread with His disciples and shared wine with them the last time, He said to them:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remissions of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29)

In Matthew 26:28, Jesus refers to it as a “new testament” instead of “new covenant.” “Testament,” as defined by Merriam-webster.com is: “an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death.” It is clear that there is a distinct difference between the old covenant and the new covenant that God would have with His people Israel, and that is that Jesus, His only begotten Son, the perfect Lamb of God, had to die in order for the new covenant to be in effect. Without Jesus’ death, there would be no new covenant. Another definition of “testament” is “a tangible proof or tribute.” Jesus Christ is the tangible proof of the remission of sins. When He died and was resurrected, He gave us, those who have put our faith and trust in Him alone for our salvation, our inheritance, which could only come after the sprinkling of His blood and His death:

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:1-5)

Notice what it says above about the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Under the Old Covenant, the high priest would atone for the sins of the people by sacrificing bulls and goats. The priest would take the animals’ blood and sprinkle it on the altar. This would have to be done continually in order to cleanse the people from their sins. However, with Jesus, His sacrifice would happen only once, and it would be done not only for the Jews but for ALL people who choose to put their faith and trust in Him for our salvation:

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage [appearance] was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)

The Scriptures above do not say that God’s servant - Jesus - would sprinkle only the nation of Israel but many nations, which includes the Gentile/non-Jewish nations. Those who had not read nor had been told the message of salvation through faith in Him would hear the message, as preached by Jesus when He came the first time. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, His message of salvation would then be taught by His apostles and disciples, including the apostle Paul, whom Jesus specifically chose to disciple the Gentile nations.

The book of Hebrews reiterates that Jesus Christ is our high priest whose blood was shed for us and who now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. Let us read from Hebrews chapters 8 and 9, where it discusses the old and new covenants and the need for the new covenant:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum [main point]: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished [divinely instructed] of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old [obsolete]. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8)

No matter how hard they may have tried, Israel could not keep the first covenant with God. God knew this would happen before He even made the first covenant with them. Knowing this, He made the first covenant with them to show them that there is absolutely nothing they can do to save themselves and that it is only by faith alone in Him that could save them. Thus, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, prophesied of long ago by the prophets, to fulfill the law and to offer salvation to all who choose to believe in Him, to put their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation of sins. God knew that Jesus must die, Jesus our testator, in order for this new covenant to go into effect; death must occur, blood must be spilt to atone for sins, as Hebrews 9 discusses:

“Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly [earthly] sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables [tablets] of the covenant; and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first [part of the] tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure [symbolic] for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings [various baptisms], and carnal [fleshly] ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot [blemish] to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept [commandment] to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined [commanded] unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures [copies] of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world [ages] hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9)

Jesus came first as a servant to be the blood sacrifice and the atonement for sins for all who willingly accept Him in their heart as their Savior. He came first for His own, the Jews, but they rejected Him, were envious of Him, and wanted their Roman rulers to crucify Him, to put Him to death so that they themselves, the Jewish leaders, could continue to rule their fellow Jews. Let us read what they said when they were given the choice between Him and another who was also to be crucified, whose name was Barabbas.

After Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, came with the Jewish chief priests and elders and betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Jesus was arrested and brought before the Roman governor named Pontius Pilate. Let us read of that account:

“When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: and when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself [felt remorse], and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.” (Matthew 27:1-10)

Judas was remorseful over what he had done, but did you notice what it says also? It says he was remorseful when “he saw that he was condemned.” Notice it does not say that he was remorseful for what he had done and then he was condemned, but because he was condemned, he was remorseful. How many times have we seen criminals who say they are sorry for what they have done but are only sorry because they were caught?

Let us remember the condition of Judas’ heart. We have an example of it when he criticized Mary for spending a lot of money on expensive oil to anoint the feet of Jesus. Judas’ heart was not motivated by the love of Jesus but by something different:

“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment [oil] of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag [money box], and bare [used to take] what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against [for] the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” (John 12:1-8)

Judas was not motivated by his love for Jesus but for the love of money, and that love condemned him. Judas did not remember the words of King Solomon which he wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes:

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity [futility].” (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

King Solomon was the man who had everything: he had riches like we have never known, even to this day, he saw the completion of the astounding first Jewish Temple, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines; he wanted for nothing and had everything the world tells us it takes to make him happy. Yet, this man was miserable. Through his many pagan, non-Jewish wives, he began to worship false gods and idols and did not heed God’s warning to him:

“Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh [a place for pagan worship], the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend [tear away] the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” (1 Kings 11:7-13)

Because of Solomon’s terrible sins against God, He told Solomon that He would tear away the kingdom of Israel from his son (Rehoboam). However, because of God’s deep love for Solomon’s father, King David, and for Jerusalem, God would not tear away the kingdom during Solomon’s lifetime and He would leave the kingdom of Judah, and that is exactly what happened:

“And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” (1 Kings 12:20)

Late in his life, Solomon ended his book of Ecclesiastes with the words below. I don’t know if he had turned back to God or was just sorry for the consequences of his poor choices in life, but his words do speak truth:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

As a Jew, Judas Iscariot certainly had read these words of King Solomon but he chose to ignore them. Judas had heard the words of Jesus when He warned His apostles that they cannot serve two masters, and yet Judas also chose to ignore Jesus’ words:

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [wealth].” (Jesus Christ; Luke 16:13)

Before we continue with Matthew 27, let us read what Jesus said of Judas at the last supper with His apostles before Judas betrayed Him:

“Now when the even [evening] was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he [Jesus] answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said [said it].” (Matthew 26:20-25)

Judas heard confirmation from Jesus that he would be the one who would betray Jesus. Judas had a choice not to betray Jesus, but he chose to remain on his path of betrayal, even though Jesus clearly warned him of the consequences. How many of us know the consequences that come from sinning and yet choose to ignore them and continue in our plan of sin? Judas betrayed Jesus, and not long afterward he felt the heavy weight of his sin and returned the money the chief priests and elders had paid him to betray Jesus. Judas not only gave back the blood money but he also admitted the truth: that he had betrayed the innocent blood. Perhaps when he confessed this great sin, he thought they would tell him it was okay and that they forgave him. Instead, they said to him that it wasn’t their problem but his. Judas was left all alone in his sin, and as Jesus warned him, woe was upon him. Judas loved money more than he loved Jesus. Judas wrecked his life, and knowing that he was condemned, Judas took his own life. Though Judas gained thirty pieces of silver when he willingly chose to betray Jesus, it cost him everything, including his life. King Solomon’s words rang true: “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity [futiity]” (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

What the chief priests and elders did afterward even fulfilled prophecy that is written in the book of Zechariah when they took the money back and bought the potter’s field that was called The field of blood:

“And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear [refrain]. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them [valued at by them]. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.” (Zechariah 11:12-13)

This is what sin does, it condemns, and Judas felt the full force of that condemnation when he betrayed the Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Now, let us continue reading in Matthew 27 when Jesus was brought by the Jews to Pontius Pilate:

“And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest [It is as you say]. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont [accustomed] to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would [wished]. And they had then a notable [notorious] prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see yet to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged [flogged with a scourge], he delivered him [Jesus] to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:11-26)

Did you read the passage of Scripture above closely? What does it say that Pilate knew was their motivation for wanting him to release Barabbas instead of Jesus? It was envy. What does the Bible tell us about envy? Let’s read a few Scriptures about this:

“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30)

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest [evident], which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations [jealousies], wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife [self-seeking] in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish [demonic]. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:13-18)

Though the Jews, especially the religious leaders, knew the Scriptures and how long ago the Scriptures foretold of the coming of the Messiah, they rejected Him and wanted Him to be crucified. They chose to have Pilate release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. Their hearts were corrupted by their envy, their selfish desires to be the ones to have the control. They had built their own kingdom on earth and wanted to remain the rulers of that kingdom, no matter the cost. They even proclaimed to Pilate after he declared his innocence of shedding innocent blood, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” And that is exactly what has happened since they gave Jesus over to be crucified. Now, if you believe that God is finished with Jews and has written them off forever, and if you believe that the church has replaced them, let me tell you that that is absolutely a false teaching, and anyone who has read the Bible for themselves knows that this is a lie from the pit of hell. Because God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything, He knew that before Jesus would come to earth, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from a virgin, that the people He would be sent to earth to save would be the same people who would reject Him as the Christ. God would then turn His attention to the Gentiles, the non-Jews, and offer salvation to them. Thus, this fulfills what is prophesied in today’s Scripture in Isaiah 49:6. Let us read that part again. God didn’t sent Jesus just to offer salvation to the Jews but to every single person, to all the ends of the earth:

“I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end [ends] of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

The salvation of the Jews was not erased when God turned His attention to the Gentiles after Jesus was crucified, died, and rose again. The apostle Paul wrote about this in the book of Romans, in which it tells us that a remnant of Israel will be preserved and will come to salvation. However, it won’t be their works that save them, but the grace of God, which is the free gift of salvation to all whom believe in Jesus as the Christ and who put their faith and trust in Him alone to save them from their sins:

“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election [elect] hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompence unto them: let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.” (Romans 11:5-10)

Did you read in the Scripture above who it is that has given Israel a spirit of slumber and caused them to have eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear? It is God Himself who did that. Why is this? It is so that prophecies of this exact thing in the book of Isaiah can be fulfilled. Let us read those prophecies:

“For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 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: 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.” (Isaiah 29:10-14)

Again, God says that while His people the Jews claimed to be near to Him with their mouths and spoke words that honored Him, they were hypocrites because in their hearts, they did not honor Him and were far from Him. That is exactly what happened when they rejected God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ, whom God sent so that they might be saved by Him through faith in Him alone. I absolutely love how the Old Testament prophecies connect to the New Testament, many of which have already been fulfilled and many are yet to be fulfilled.

Now, let us continue reading what the apostle Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee, well-trained in the Scriptures, wrote in Romans 11 about God giving the Jews a spirit of slumber:

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles; I magnify mine office: if by any means I may provoke to emulation [jealousy] them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” (Romans 11:11-16)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching [concerning] the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded [confined] them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:25-36)

There is so much truth packed into these Scriptures that the apostle Paul wrote! He makes it crystal clear that God is not finished with the Jews! Rather, because of their hardness of their hearts toward Jesus when He came the first time and rejected Him as their Messiah, God blinded their eyes and stopped up their ears and put them in a spirit of slumber, and then He turned His message of salvation to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. How long does Paul tell us this period of time will last? The answer is “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25) When will this happen? We don’t know for sure, but one thing is certain: just as God had a plan to save the Gentiles, God still has a plan to save all of the remaining remnant of the Jews who will be alive after the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble that is prophesied in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. The Bible seems to speak of this remnant in Zechariah, when two-thirds of the Jews will die in the time of Jacob’s trouble, the 7-year time of tribulation upon the earth, but one-third of the Jews will survive and will be the remnant - the preserved of Israel - that Isaiah prophesied of long ago:

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, the LORD is my God.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)

In today’s Scripture in Isaiah 49:6, God is speaking to Jesus and tells Him, “It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel.” This raising up of the tribes of Jacob may be written about in the book of Revelation chapter 7. In the passages below, God tells us that 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel will be sealed on their foreheads before God will allow any harm to be done to the earth during the time of Jacob’s trouble:

“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” (Revelation 7:1-4)

Revelation 7:5-8 goes on to tell us that 12,000 from each of the twelves tribes of Juda, Reuben, Gad, Aser, Nephthalim, Manasses, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, and Benjamin will be sealed when this prophecy is fulfilled. God did not seal 144,000 Gentiles. Contrary to what they may claim, God did not seal 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses. God did not seal 144,000 male and female Gentiles; no, God’s word clearly tells us that He sealed 144,000 of His own chosen people, the Jews who will be virgin males, from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. God is protecting His people to ensure the one-third remnant will be saved, as prophesied long ago. During this horrific 7-year time period on earth, they will be tested by all of the judgments that God will send upon the earth at that time.

We read of these 144,000 again in chapter 14 of the book of Revelation. I believe these are the same 144,000 as we read about in Revelation 7. Let us read what God’s word says about them:

“And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile [deceit]: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:1-5)

The Bible doesn’t appear to tell us exactly what role these 144,000 Jewish men will play during the tribulation period, the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, but they absolutely will play a role. The Bible does tell us that they “were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:4-5) A firstfruit is the first of a plant that bears fruit, with the expectation of a greater harvest. In the Bible, the Jews were commanded to offer their first fruits to God during the Feast of Firstfruits, or the Feast of Harvest. Let us read a little about this from the book of Leviticus:

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when he wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete…” (Leviticus 23:9-15)

In the Scriptures above, before the people would reap the harvest, they not only would offer up their firstfruits to God, but they would also offer an unblemished male first year lamb. Jesus Christ IS the perfect Lamb of God, who willingly offered up His life to God to be the salvation of souls of all who believe in Him.

I don’t think it is any coincidence that in the last part of the Scriptures above it says “seven sabbaths shall be complete.” The Jewish sabbath occurs once a week. Thus, this means seven weeks shall be complete. In the Bible, the number seven means completeness. It is interesting to me to note that after the 144,000 Jewish males who are the servants of God are sealed by the angels of God, then harm can and will come to the entire earth for a period of seven years that will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ. Thus, these 144,000 Jewish males appear to be a representation of a greater harvest of Jews that will be saved during the time of Jacob’s trouble, which will comprise the surviving remnant of Jews. Throughout history, God has always preserved a remnant of HIs chosen people, and that includes during the coming 7-year time of tribulation that will be so horrific, if God did not limit it to seven years, no flesh would be saved.

Not only will a remnant of Jews be saved during this 7-year time period but also many Gentiles; the harvest of new believers in Jesus Christ will be great and it will be worldwide! This will be those people who had not previously put their faith and trust in Jesus as their Savior prior to the start of the tribulation period. For those who had, they will be caught up to Jesus in the clouds during the rapture of the church prior to the start of the tribulation period. This will leave only unbelievers on earth during the tribulation period. During that time, the Bible tells us that there will be many who will come to belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior and will refuse to take the mark of the beast/final antichrist or the number of his name (i.e., 666). Consequently, they will be martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. Let us read what the Bible tells us of these precious martyrs:

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on [strike] them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17)

We have studied a lot of Scriptures today, and we have seen how the New Testament is connected to the Old Testament through prophecy, both prophecies that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled at some point in the not-too-distant future. We have read in Isaiah 49:6 that God gave us Jesus to be our salvation to all the ends of the earth, for all who believe in Him and put our faith in Him to save us, and that includes the Jews. As our world grows darker by the second, heading quickly towards the start of the time of Jacob’s trouble, let us remember that our hope is not in this world, but our hope is in Jesus Christ. If you are not saved by believing in Him, by putting your faith and trust in Him to save you, you have no hope, and I urge you to turn to Jesus, before it’s too late. ✝️

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24-25)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3-9)

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children] of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)

June 26, 2024: Isaiah 49:5 - Jesus Shall be Glorious in the Eyes of God

“And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.” - Isaiah 49:5

For thousands of years, Israel has gone through periods where they depended on Almighty God for their every need, and then turned away from Him and turned to false gods, to themselves, or to earthly men to save them. The coming of their Messiah - Jesus Christ - was prophesied all throughout the Old Testament, particularly in the pages of the scroll of Isaiah. Though God’s word tells us that Jesus would first come as a servant who would suffer tremendously, it also tells us that at His second coming, He will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords and will execute His righteous judgment upon a wicked and evil world that chooses sin over salvation.

As prophesied in the book of Isaiah, when Jesus came to earth the first time, He was rejected by His own:

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:1-4)

“And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save [except] in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:54-58)

Jesus knew before it happened that even those in His inner circle of His disciples would be offended by Him when the Jewish leaders would seek to arrest Him and to find those who followed and believed in Him as their Messiah:

“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice [three times].” (Matthew 26:31-34)

While Jesus walked the earth, He performed many miracles, and yet, most people having seeing with their own eyes the miracles He performed, yet they did not believe in Him and that He is the Son of God. One of the many miracles He performed was the healing of a man who had blind since birth. Jesus saw the man when He and His disciples passed by him:

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him [Jesus], saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:1-5)

We as human beings often do not understand why certain things happen to us, why God allows suffering. This blind man who could not see from birth would have had to rely on his parents and likely other people to help him through his life to navigate his existence. The disciples thought this man had been blind at birth because of his sin or because of his parents’ sin, but Jesus told them that was not the case. Instead, this man had been blind so that the power of Almighty God could be revealed through the One who would restore sight to the blind man. There was a greater work, a greater purpose in the blind man’s life, and that was to show many of the people that though they could see with their eyes, they were spiritually blind because they refused to believe the truth with their hearts. Let us read what happened next:

“When he [Jesus] had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is, by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.” (John 9:6-9)

Did you catch that last part? Here were his neighbors, who had seen this man day after day begging and knew that he was born blind, and now saw that this man COULD SEE and now they themselves could NOT see because they refused to believe the miracle that Jesus had just performed. They said it wasn’t the man but someone like him. This is what a hard heart does: it blinds one to the truth! It can be standing right in front of you and yet you deny it! Let us continue reading about this man whose sight was restored by Jesus:

“Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.” (John 9:10-14)

Clearly the man’s neighbors did not believe what the man had told them, and took him to the Pharisees, thinking these scholarly religious leaders could pull the truth out of the man’s mouth. The man stood before the Pharisees as they questioned him:

“Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man [speaking of Jesus] is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day, Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was division among them.” (John 9:15-16)

The Pharisees questioned the man a second time, wanting to know what he thought of the man who had restored his sight:

“They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.” (John 9:17)

The Pharisees called Jesus a “sinner” and were upset because Jesus had healed the man on the sabbath day. They said Jesus “is not of God” for hardness and jealousy filled their hearts. They did not believe the man had been blind from birth and did not believe the miracle that Jesus had performed. The blind man’s eyes had been opened, but the Pharisees’ eyes were blinded because of their sin in their hearts. They were so upset that they called in the parents of the man to question them:

“And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.” (John 9:19-22)

The Jewish Pharisees did not want to hear the truth that Jesus had indeed performed a miracle by giving the blind man the ability to see, and they threatened anyone who would proclaim that Jesus is the Christ by expelling them from the synagogue. They denied that Jesus could only perform miracles like this through the power of Almighty God. Let us read what happened next:

“Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man [Jesus] is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?” (John 9:24:27)

The Pharisees questioned the man three times and yet did not believe him when he told them the truth: that he was blind from birth, that it was Jesus who had restored sight to him, opening his blinded eyes so that he could see. Let us read the Pharisees’ response to his question to them:

“Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:28-33)

You can hear and feel the stinging in their words and their unveiled insults in their reply to him. This is a demonstration of people who worshipped God with their head knowledge and not with their heart. If they had worshipped God with their heart, they would have remembered long ago Moses’ prophecy of Messiah that he (Moses) spoke to Israel:

“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; according to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)

In the days of Moses when God used him to bring Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, God Himself was going to speak to the people at Mount Sinai. However, when they saw the thunderings and lightnings and heard the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, they were filled with fear. Consequently, they told Moses that he should speak with them instead of God because they worried that they would die. Thus, God used Moses instead to speak to the people, and it was Moses who would later tell the people of a coming Prophet to whom they should listen. However, when Jesus, who IS the Prophet prophesied by Moses, came to earth, the Pharisees, even though they had many years of learning about the Bible, did not heed what Moses had written to them long ago. No Pharisee remembered this, but Philip, one of the twelve untrained men Jesus chose to be His apostles, remembered what Moses and also the prophets of God had written long ago:

“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile [deceit]! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” (John 1:43-51)

Returning to John chapter 9, let us read what the Pharisees said to the blind man whose eyes were opened by Jesus after the man told them, “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing” (John 9:33):

“They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out [excommunicated him]. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into the world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” (John 9:34-41)

The Pharisees talked down to the man who had been blind all those years from his birth and whose eyes were opened by the power of Jesus Christ. They felt they were better than him and acted like they had no sin. We are all sinners, including the Pharisees, and so was the man who was blind at birth. However, as Jesus had told His disciples, it wasn’t the man’s sins nor his parents’ sin that caused the man’s blindness. This man was born blind because God knew from the beginning when the man was conceived in his mother’s womb that a great and powerful work would be done through the man’s blindness: he would be a testimony as to the power of God that was exemplified in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The Pharisees were so threatened by the testimony of this man who had been healed from blindness by Jesus that they cast him out of the synagogue! Isn’t that what people in our world today do to those who tell the truth of God? They don’t want to hear it, and they do everything they can to shut us up; nothing has changed in our world in nearly 2,000 years. Jesus had opened the eyes of blind man. The man had seen with his own once blinded eyes Jesus face-to-face, and the man believed on Jesus as the Son of God. The Pharisees had also seen Jesus face-to-face, yet they chose not to believe. Their pride and their egos stood in the way of believing with their heart, and though they could see Jesus with their eyes, they rejected Him. Jesus told them because of that, they remained in their sin. This is not what Jesus wanted for them, and He would go on to tell them that:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 23:37-39)

There IS coming a day when Israel will be gathered in their homeland and will finally turn to Jesus Christ, the One whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for their only son. However, before that happens, they will undergo the most difficult time in human history, a time known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Though the majority of the Jews rejected their Messiah, He IS glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and Jesus IS going to return to earth a second time. However, this time, it won’t be to offer salvation from sins but He will return to judge the earth in His righteousness, for God has granted all rights of judgment to Jesus:

“Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them [gives life to]; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:18-30)

Jesus was betrayed by one of His own, by Judas Iscariot. Judas’ heart was not with Jesus but with Satan. As the Bible tells us, Satan entered Judas, who agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. With this betrayal of Jesus, who would subsequently be crucified on a cross and die when He gave up His life, Satan hoped that that would be the end of Jesus and that Jesus would not be glorious in the eyes of God. However, let us read what Jesus said when Judas betrayed Him at the last supper:

“I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.” (John 13:18)

This is the Scripture of which Jesus spoke that was indeed fulfilled, which is a psalm written by King David long ago:

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9)

Don’t you just love the many connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament? There are many prophecies that were made in the Old Testament that were fulfilled by Jesus at His first coming. There are prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled and which surely will be fulfilled by Jesus at His second coming. Now, let us continue reading from John 13 and read the words of Jesus that He spoke to His disciples during the last supper, the last time that He would eat with them before Jesus would go to the cross for us:

“Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop [piece of bread], when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag [money box], that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against [for] the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:19-35)

Satan’s purpose was defeated: Jesus IS glorified and God IS glorified in Jesus, and that continues today as each person who turns to Jesus Christ in belief in who He is - the Savior of the world. Jesus knew what He had to endure in order to provide the way - the only way of salvation from sins - and He was willing to do it, He was obedient to the Father. Before He would be crucified on the cross, He went to the Mount of Olives to pray, and His disciples followed Him. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew the agony He would suffer, and He prayed to God. An angel of God appeared to Jesus and strengthened Him:

“And he came out, and went, as he was wont [accustomed], to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast [throw], and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was at it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:39-44)

Jesus was obedient to the Father, and the Father’s will was done when Jesus went to the cross. Before Jesus gave up His life, He said,“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34). His body was placed in a tomb, and three days later He rose again. He revealed Himself to many during the 40 days after He was resurrected and walked on the earth, and then He ascended to heaven, where He sits now at the right hand of God. But His work on earth is not yet finished.

As the Bible tells us, Jesus will come again, and when He does, it won’t be like His first coming. At the second coming of Jesus Christ, He will strike down all wickedness with the sword of His mouth. All of the remnant of Israel will be gathered together in all of their land that God gave them. Jesus, the rod from the stem of Jesse, the Branch that grows out of his roots, will reign with a rod of iron for 1,000 years with the spirit of the Lord resting upon Him. Isaiah wrote of this long ago in Isaiah chapter 11. This will be a time of peace in the world, even among the animal kingdom. Let us read this chapter in its entirety below, and let us give glory to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, the One who came long ago, and the One who is coming again to judge the earth in all of His righteousness. I believe His second coming is sooner than any of us may know. ✝️

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 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; 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: 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. And righteousness shall be the girdle [belt] of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 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. And the cow and the bear shall feed [graze]; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking [nursing] child shall play on the hole of the asp [cobra], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ [in the viper’s] den. They shall not hurt nor destroy any in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign [a banner] of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 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. And he shall set up an ensign [a banner] for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 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 [harass] Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil [plunder] them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 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 overdryshod. 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.” (Isaiah 11)

June 16, 2024: Isaiah 49:4 - My Judgment is with the Lord

“Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” (Isaiah 49:4)

As I mentioned in my May 27, 2024 devotional, recently the Holy Spirit impressed upon me when writing these devotional messages that I needed to stop relying on Bible commentaries to interpret God’s word but to rely solely on the Holy Spirit to guide me in His word, to guide me into all truth, as Jesus said the Holy Spirit will do in John 16:13. This has been difficult for me as I do not want to mislead anyone with these devotionals and my feelings are what causes this concern within me. However, I must put my feelings aside and not be led by them but be led by the Holy Spirit within me. I recently did a short post on Instagram and it said, “I can’t … but Almighty God can.” I must keep this truth in the forefront of my mind when it comes to writing these messages, particularly with this verse in Isaiah 49:4.

This is Jesus Christ speaking through the prophet Isaiah approximately 700 years prior to Jesus’ first coming to earth. At His first coming, Jesus came as both God and man. As God, He quoted the Scriptures even though He had not learned them as men learn them. He is the source, the author, of the Scriptures and didn’t need to learn them from any man, any Jewish leader. He performed many miracles that only God can perform, including raising people from the dead, opening the eyes of the blind, enabling the mute to speak and the lame to walk, calming the storm, walking on water, multiplying a minuscule amount of food so that it fed thousands on two occasions, and many more miracles did He perform. As a man, He lived and experienced all that we humans experience: He grew tired and needed rest, He thirsted, He was hungry, and He was full of sorrow when His friend Lazarus died. Jesus felt pain when He was scourged, spat upon, and struck by those who hated Him, and yet, He did not return to them the venomous hatred they showed to Him. He had walked with them and talked with them and ate with them, and so many of them had betrayed Him. As the man Jesus, surely, He would have felt as though He had labored in vain and spent His strength for nothing. But as God, He knew that His judgment by men was with the Lord God, God the Father. Jesus knew that His work, meaning, that which He would do - and ONLY He could do - on the cross was with God the Father. It is only Jesus who, being judged for all of OUR sins and who committed no sin Himself, and was crucified, died, resurrected three days later, and ascended to heaven, could provide the way - the only way - of salvation of sins by His sacrifice. This was God the Father’s plan from the beginning:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [he; Jesus] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled [steadfast], and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister…” “Colossians 1:19-23)

“Beware lest any man spoil [plunder] you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [basic principles] of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power [rule and authority].” (Colossians 2:8-9)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John [John the Baptist] bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me [ranks higher than I]: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace, for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. And this is the record [testimony] of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:14-23)

In the Scripture above, John the Baptist was quoting this Scripture from Isaiah:

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3)

As the God man who took on all our sins, Jesus cried out when He was on hanging on the cross:

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

It was at that moment when Jesus felt all alone, separated from God, wondering where He was. Did you know that when Jesus said this, He was quoting a psalm of David. This beautiful psalm was an expression of David’s heart, but it was also a prophecy of the coming Messiah. This psalm also prophesied how the Messiah would die - by crucifixion. I have included this Psalm - Psalm 22 - in its entirety below:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring [groaning]? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee and were not confounded [ashamed]. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell [can count] all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling [precious life] from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns [wild oxen]. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat [prosper] upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust [death] shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” (Psalm 22)

Let us read of the fulfillment of some of the prophecies above:

“And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted [divided] my garments among them, and upon my vesture [clothing] did they cast lots.” (Matthew 27:35)

“And they that passed by reviled [blasphemed] him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:39-40)

“Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, he saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.” (Matthew 27:41-44)

How many times in our lives have we felt like God had forsaken us, how many times have we felt all alone? When Jesus was dying on that horrible cross, He felt with same way, with the throbbing pain from the nails in His feet and His hands, His back in excruciating pain after having being scourged with a whip with jagged metal or bone that tore into His flesh, and suffering a deep thirst that could not be quenched. Only a few people lay at His feet, crying for Him, while many others surrounded Him, mocking and spitting at Him. He could have broken free from that cross, but He didn’t. He could have come off of that cross before He gave up His life, but He chose not to because He was obedient to the Father, to the point of death. God had sent Jesus as the sinless Lamb of God to be the perfect sacrifice, a one-time sacrifice, because He is perfect in every way, to offer redemption of sins to all who believe in Him:

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did not esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes [blows that cut in] we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:3-7)

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

Jesus knew what He had to do, and that it must be not His will to be done, but the Father’s will, no matter the amount of suffering He would have to undergo:

“And he [Jesus] took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:37-39)

“He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)

“So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 5:5-10)

As believers in Jesus Christ, having been born again by His sacrifice, may we hold onto Him during these turbulent times, during these perilous times that the apostle Paul told us would come in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1). May we remember His obedience to the Father, and all that He had to suffer, because He loves us. May we remember that He did it so that we would be given the way of salvation, if only we put our faith and trust in Him to save us from our sins. May we remember that He alone is our hope, it is He alone who can save us from our sins and who will one day raise us up to be with Him forever:

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jesus Christ; John 6:37-40)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life.” (Jesus Christ; John 6:47-48)

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11) ✝️

June 9, 2024: Isaiah 49:2-3: He Made His Mouth Like a Sharp Sword

“And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; and said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” (Isaiah 49:2-3)

The more I read from the book of Isaiah, the more in reverent awe am I of Almighty God. It amazes me that throughout the book of Isaiah, we are given bits of information about the then-coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. The words that are written flow with imagery of the Savior, who would come to earth the first time as a suffering servant, sent by God the Father to save His people Israel, whom God knew would reject their Messiah, and Messiah would also be sent as a light to the Gentiles, because of God’s deep love for all of mankind. As I read through the pages of Isaiah, I read words that spark my memory of what I have read in the New Testament, connecting the prophecies of old in Isaiah to the fulfilled first coming of Jesus, demonstrating a power such is not known nor can be yielded by any earthly man. My God truly is an awesome God!

Isaiah 49:2-3 is a perfect example of God’s power. He tells us clearly that the words which will be spoken of by Jesus will be like a sharp sword. Let us read what Jesus Himself said to the twelve disciples He had chosen and instructed them to go and preach but not to the Gentiles but to the Jews:

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:5-7)

He told them many things, and He warned them that their message would not be well-received by the house of Israel:

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against [to] them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given to you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 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. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:16-22)

What is it about the message of Jesus Christ that would cause such hatred? Let us read these words of Jesus to His disciples:

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against [apart from] his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:32-37)

Jesus knew that His message of salvation would be widely rejected among His own people, but it would not only be rejected but it would cause deep division. This division would not only be widespread in the world but also even, and perhaps especially, within the home of a believer. Sadly, this is true in my case.

Many of today’s “churches” preach a message about “unity” and it’s all about the love of Jesus. Yes, it is true that Jesus loves us, but He also loves justice and will not let wickedness go on forever; He will return one day and put an end to it. In the verses from Matthew 10:32-37 above, do you read anything about unity? The answer is a resounding “no.” The reason is that there can be no unity between believers and unbelievers; there is a great and broad chasm between the two that can only be bridged by Jesus Christ when we repent and turn to Him in belief. He knew that there would be people so strongly opposed to the gospel message that there would be family members who turn against each other when a family member puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation of their sins, sometimes even hating one another or disavowing the family member who turned to Him. The gospel message gets to the heart of the matter: either you believe in Jesus Christ with your heart as your Savior or you don’t. If you don’t, as Jesus told us, He will deny you before God the Father because you chose to remain in your sins and you simply cannot be allowed entry into heaven because of your sin. Only those who have been born again, having had all their sins washed clean by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, when He was crucified and gave up His life on the cross, saying, “It is finished,” can enter the kingdom of God; Jesus paid the price for all sins of believers in Him, and He only needed to do it once. When you reject the free gift of salvation, Satan owns your soul and when you die, you will be with him in a place called hell for eternity, along with everyone else who died in their sins.

Think about our world today and how there is a deep-rooted hatred for Jesus and His message of salvation. Think about Hollywood, which I believe should be renamed to Hell-e-wood, because the majority of its movies are meant to program your mind and to turn your heart against Jesus Christ. Consider how many movies and TV shows use the name of our great God and Savior in a derogatory manner, using it as a curse word. How many times does it mock Christianity and portray those who believe in Jesus as braindead idiots and say something such as they believe in a chauvinistic or misogynistic “mystical sky daddy”? If Jesus isn’t real, then why do they feel the need to constantly mock Him and those who believe in Him? What is the threat in believing in Him? Why aren't they making movie after movie mocking people who believe in other religions? They mock Him and those who believe in Him because they are being controlled by Satan and his minions, who know beyond the shadow of a doubt that JESUS IS REAL AND THEY KNOW HIS POWER. If Jesus wasn’t a threat to Satan and his minions, they would not mock him and those who believe in Him because there simply would be no reason to do so.

In the book of John, written by the apostle John, he calls Jesus the Word:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5)

“And the Word was made [became] flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The writer of Hebrews further discusses the word of God. I believe this not only speaks to God’s written word - the Bible - but also the Word Himself - Jesus Christ:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Let us read some other Scriptures that talk about Jesus’ mouth as a two-edged sword. When John the apostle was exiled on the Greek island of Patmos, he was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly [quickly or swiftly] come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record [bore witness] of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. JOHN to the seven churches which are in Asia: 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; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:1-8)

For those who are not familiar with the book of Revelation, let me provide a quick overview of it. The title of the book in Greek is Apokalypsis Ioannou, “Revelation of John.” A transliteration of the name is “Apocalypse,” which means an unveiling or revelation of Jesus Christ. It opens with John being told by Jesus to write seven letters to seven churches that existed at that time. Next, John was taken up to heaven and shown things “which must be hereafter.” (Revelation 4:1) In my opinion, the book of Revelation is the greatest book of prophecy ever written, and its companion book is the Old Testament book of Daniel. It tells us of a coming 7-year time in history that has never been known to man nor ever will be again, a time so dreadful that if Jesus did not limit it to seven years, no one would survive. It is a time when Jesus Christ will open the seven seals of a sealed scroll that will begin this time period. A man will rise who is called in Revelation the antichrist and the beast, and he will make a 7-year covenant with many, that I believe includes the nation of Israel. This time period will culminate in the second coming of Christ, when He will kill everyone who is at war against Him with the sword of His mouth. He will then begin His 1,000-year reign on earth that begins with Jesus locking Satan in a bottomless pit for the 1,000-year period, letting him loose afterwards to see if the people alive during that period will choose to be aligned with Satan or with Jesus, then Jesus finally casting Satan and all who allied with him into the eternal lake of fire. Afterwards, Jesus will destroy the current earth and heavens and will create a new heaven and earth, where only believers in Him will reside; sin and Satan will have been destroyed forever, never again to raise its ugly head. It is during the second half of the 7-year tribulation period when the surviving Jews will finally realize that Jesus IS their Messiah and will turn to Him in belief.

Now, let me provide you with some verses in Revelation that speak of Jesus’ mouth as a sharp two-edged sword. In this first instance, I want to give you the full context of what John wrote:

“I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation [persecution], and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps [chest] with a golden girdle [band]. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned [were refined] in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter [take place]; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:9-20)

These are the words of Jesus Christ speaking to John the apostle. John tells us that when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet as if he were dead. John was seeing Jesus in all His glory; He was seeing Jesus as Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and earth and all that is within them. Oh, how I long for that day when I and all believers in Jesus will see Him in all His glory and we will fall to our knees and worship our great God and Savior!

Did you read the words of Jesus to John? He first told John not to fear, and then told him that He has always existed and always will, and that He is the One who has the keys to hell and death. When people choose sin over salvation, death over life, it is Jesus who holds the key to hell, and when He shuts that door on the wicked, it will never be opened again. Conversely, when we choose salvation over sin, life over death, it is Jesus who opens the door to the kingdom of heaven, which no one can shut. Jesus said the words below to the church of Philadelphia, which was one of only two of the seven churches (the other was the church of Smyrna) for which Jesus had no condemnation to them but only praise:

“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; I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” (Jesus Christ; Revelation 3:7-8)

As we read in Revelation 2:12-17 below when Jesus told John to write His words to the angel of the church in Pergamos, He acknowledged that it is He - Jesus - who has the two-edged, sharp sword:

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication [sexual immorality]. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving [except] he that receiveth it.” (Revelation 2:12-17)

Notice in the Scriptures verses above that Jesus was both praising this church for some of the things it had done but He was also warning them of the things that they were doing that needed to stop. One of those things was that they held to the doctrine of Balaam. Balaam was a prophet of God but who wickedly agreed to take payment from King Balak of Moab who wanted Balaam to curse Israel. Balak was worried about the large number of Israelites who drew close to his land as they were being led by Moses to the Promised Land. Balaam was specifically told by God not to curse Israel, but he still tried to do so several times. However, God would not let the words that came from Balaam’s mouth curse Israel. When he failed to do as Balak wanted and being motivated by money, Balaam found a way to earn his reward money. Balaam told Balak to have the pagan Moabite and Midianite women sexually tempt the Israelite men. The Israelite men ended up committing sexual immorality with them, ate foods that they sacrificed to their false gods, and worshipped their false gods. In the end, God ordered all those who committed sexual fornication to be slain, including the women who caused Israel to stumble, and 24,000 were killed. Balaam was also slain for his evil deeds against Israel, and he was slain by the sword:

“The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword.” (Joshua 13:22)

Balaam was a prophet in that he did speak the truth but it was only because God would not let him curse Israel with his mouth. Instead of wanting to use his God-given talents to bless God and to bless Israel, he wanted to use them to enlarge himself because he worshipped the false god of money. Balaam was not motivated by the one true God but was motivated by the false god of money. When we compare Balaam to the pastors and teachers in churches today, including and perhaps especially, in America, how many of them are like Balaam? How many are cursing Israel today as we speak because it’s what most countries in the world today are doing? How many are doing this so that they can keep the donations coming into the “churches” to enlarge themselves, just as Balaam desired? What will their end be? May they remember and heed the words of Jesus:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt [ruin], and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 6:19-21)

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold [be loyal] to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [riches].” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 6:24)

Finally, let’s read two verses near the end of the book of Revelation, when Jesus comes back to earth but this time, He comes back to judge the earth in all righteousness. Let us pay close attention to what it says about His mouth being a sharp sword. Yes, the One whom is speaking in Isaiah 49:2-3 is Jesus Christ. He is the One whom God has called by name from His mother’s womb. He is the One whose mouth is like a sharp sword:

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteous he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] 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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls [birds] that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond [slave], both small and great. And I saw the beast [antichrist], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-21)

In Isaiah 49:2-3, Jesus goes on to say that God has hidden Him “in the shadow of his hand,” and that God has made Him His servant, through whom God will be glorified. God has hidden Jesus throughout the books of the Old Testament, giving us sneak peaks of the coming Messiah, the Savior, long before He would come to the earth the first time. God told us in His word that the Savior would first come as the Suffering Servant and who would be a light to the Gentiles, and who would come a second time to judge the earth in righteousness:

“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment [justice] to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1-9)

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled [lifted up], and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage [appearance] was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall he sprinkle [startle] many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)

The next passages from Isaiah 53 describe all that happened to Jesus at His first coming in stunning detail. The fulfillment of these prophecies is only possible when they are proclaimed by Almighty God, who knows the end from the beginning, who created the earth and the heavens and all that is within them. God knew exactly what would happen to Jesus when He came to earth the first time, and God wove in His word these prophecies so that when they were fulfilled, we would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that His word is true and His word is certain; what He says will come to pass, will happen, and no man and no devil can prevent it from happening. Let us read Isaiah chapter 53 in its entirety:

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm [power] of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form [no stately form] nor comeliness [splendor]; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty [appearance] that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes [blows that cut in] we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53)

Just in Isaiah 53 alone, Jesus fulfilled ten prophecies. Gotquestions.org has a list of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, including these ten from Isaiah 53, which I have noted below. (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html).

1. The Suffering Servant will be despised and rejected by His own people. Jesus’ tormentors rejected Him and spit in His face. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:3; Fulfilled: Luke 23:18; Matthew 26:67; John 1:11

2. The Suffering Servant will bear the abuse we deserve for our physical and spiritual healing. Jesus did this. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:4-5; Fulfilled: Matthew 8:17; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:3

3. The Suffering Servant will bear our sins. Jesus bore our sins. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:6, 8, 12; Fulfilled: Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 2:24-25

4. The Suffering Servant is like a lamb that does not defend itself. Although Jesus spoke during His trials, He never offered a defense. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:7; Fulfilled: Matthew 27:12; Luke 23:9; John 1:29-36

5. The Suffering Servant’s people did not protest His death. Only Pilate protested Jesus’ death. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:8; Fulfilled: Matthew 27:23-25

6. The Suffering Servant will die with the wicked. Jesus died with the two thieves. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:9, 12; Fulfilled: Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27

7. The Suffering Servant will be buried in the grave of a rich man. Jesus was buried in the grave of Joseph of Arimathea. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:9; Fulfilled: Matthew 27:57-60

8. God ordained that the Suffering Servant would suffer and die. God sent Jesus to die. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:10; Fulfilled: John 3:16; 19:11; Acts 2:23; Philippians 2:8

9. The Suffering Servant’s sacrifice offers forgiveness of sins. Jesus’ sacrifice offers forgiveness of our sins. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:11; Fulfilled: Acts 10:43; 13:38-39

10. The Suffering Servant will intercede for His abusers. Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified Him. Prophesied: Isaiah 53:12; Fulfilled: Luke 23:34

It is Jesus of whom it was prophesied in Isaiah 53 and throughout the Old Testament. Just as God said He would come, Jesus did come to earth. At His first coming, the apostle John acknowledged that Jesus has been there from the very beginning, at the time of creation, and was made flesh and dwelt among them. The apostle Paul wrote of “the mystery of godliness”:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John [John the Baptist] bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (John 1:14-18)

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

God knew from the beginning that His chosen people, the Jews, would never be able to keep His commandments because of the sinful, human nature each of us have inherited since the great fall of Adam and Eve. God sent His only begotten Son to offer redemption from sins by grace - Jesus’ death and resurrection - for all who put their faith and trust in Him for our salvation. Though once hidden in the pages of Old Testament Scriptures, Jesus was brought to this earth to bring light into darkness and salvation for all who believe in Him. The apostle Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee (religious leader), who once sought after and persecuted the early Christians and was struck by the light of Jesus Christ and became a Christian, testified of this Jesus:

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained [predetermined] before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:7-16)

“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, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: wherefore I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against [until] that day.” (2 Timothy 1:9-12)

Long ago in Isaiah 49, Jesus was speaking to the Gentiles, telling us that God had called Him by His name from His mother’s womb with a specific purpose:

“And he [God] said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end [ends] of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

Paul was the man who was formerly named Saul. He was a Jewish pharisee and prior persecutor of Christians. He was the one whom Jesus chose to deliver the gospel to the Gentiles. When Jesus told Ananias to meet with Saul after Saul was blinded by the light of Jesus when Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians (Acts 9:1-12), Ananias was in fear of Saul:

“Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:13-16)

Afterward, Jesus began calling Saul by a different name of “Paul,” and as Jesus said, Paul did go and preach the gospel - the good news of salvation from sins by Jesus Christ - primarily to the Gentiles but also to the Jews. Throughout Paul’s writings in the New Testament, we read his messages of truth. In the book of Colossians Paul wrote:

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:12-20)

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among you the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” (Colossians 1:25-29)

God’s word is all perfectly woven together by the breath of God. God had a plan of salvation from the beginning, and His name is Jesus. Sadly, to the majority of the world, they deny the truth of God, and they reject His plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. To the rest of us, who have been born again by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, His word is a soothing balm to our soul, helping us to remain calm when the world is telling us to be afraid, to be fearful of what is soon coming upon the earth. His Holy Spirit within us remind us of God’s words to us that Jesus will return as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and He will be glorified:

“Why do the heathen [Gentiles] rage, and the people imagine [plot] a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed [Messiah, Christ], saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex [distress] them in his sore [deep] displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations or Gentiles] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss [an act of homage and submission] the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2)

At the end of Jesus’ 1,000-year reign on earth, He will destroy the current heavens and earth by fire and will create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem, where only those who have been born again will live. All who rejected Him will be in the everlasting lake of fire and brimstone, along with Satan, the final antichrist, and the false prophet. There will be no more sin, and the world will be as God intended it to be from the beginning before the fall. The apostle John wrote of this when he was caught up to heaven and shown the things that were to come:

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” (Revelation 22:1-6)

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” (Jesus Christ; Revelation 22:7)

Ever since Jesus came to earth the first time, the words that He spoke from His mouth, giving them the truth of God, have been dividing people:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

“Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned [studied]? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me.” (John 7:14-16)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (Jesus Christ; John 6:47-51)

Jesus’ words are like a sharp sword that splits the truth from lies. Either you believe in Him - the One whom God sent to offer salvation from sins through the spilling of HIs precious blood, His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven - or you don’t; there is no middle ground. That sharp sword will either turn you to Him or away from Him; what it does for you is your choice alone to make. ✝️

May 27, 2024: Isaiah 49:1 - Listen to What God's True Prophets have Written of Him

“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; the LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” - Isaiah 49:1

When we read God’s word, we need to read it several times, many times, to fully understand the meaning of it, and I believe this is especially true for prophecy, things which are foretold to happen before they happen. The Bible is the only book ever written that prophecies events before they happen, sometimes even hundreds of years in advance, and those prophesied events DO happen, fulfilling God’s word to us. This is only possible when the book is written not by mere men, created beings, but by God Himself, the Almighty Creator. This prophesying of events before they happen is true throughout the Bible, including in the book of Isaiah, which is said to be a miniature Bible and even has 66 chapters as the Bible has 66 books.

The first time I read the book of Isaiah was early on when I was seeking to know the truth and wanted to know how Christianity could possibly be the only way to salvation from sins, to eternal life with God in heaven. I estimate that first reading was about twenty years ago. I wasn’t saved, but I was seeking. Fast-forward to the time when I turned to Jesus Christ and believed in Him as my Savior, I was born again, and I hungered to learn more about Bible prophecy. I read the books of Ezekiel, Revelation, and other prophetic books many times, but I did not read much from the book of Isaiah. About 1-1/2 years ago, I did a brief study on the book of Isaiah and when I did, it was like God was opening my eyes for the first time to His word. I read things in there that I had not remembered reading the first time. I could see Jesus throughout so many Scriptures in Isaiah; so much of this book points to Jesus! I realized then that it is all connected, the New Testament to the Old Testament! Only Almighty God could write the Bible in such a fashion.

Take for example the Scriptures in the book of Luke below. After having returned from fasting in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights during which He was tempted of the devil three times, Jesus Himself read from the prophet Isaiah in the Jewish synagogues:

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame [news] of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised [oppressed], to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

“And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:14-21)

The Scriptures that Jesus read from are from Isaiah 49:8-9 and Isaiah 61:1-2:

“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish [restore] the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.” (Isaiah 49:8-9)

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek [poor]; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn…” (Isaiah 61:1-2)

God Himself chosen certain men that He called to be His prophets, and He had them proclaim and write His words to His people, Israel, so that they would know that their Messiah - Jesus Christ - was coming and to be ready for Him. God is also speaking to ALL people in the world because He knew in advance that His people would reject Jesus as their Messiah, and when they did, He would then turn His attention to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish nations, giving them the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ for such a time until God determines that He will turn His attention back to the Jews. I believe we are drawing oh so near to that time.

One of the men God called as a prophet was a man named Isaiah. Isaiah wrote, through the Holy Spirit of God, during approximately 739 - 681 BC, about the coming of Jesus long before Jesus first came to earth. Returning to today’s Scripture verse in Isaiah 49:1, while it is from the perspective of Isaiah, I do not think this is Isaiah that this verse is speaking of, but a foreshadowing, a prophecy, of Jesus. I say this because the things that are written about in this chapter are of someone that were not fulfilled by Isaiah but could only be fulfilled by Jesus. This will be evident as we make our way through the 26 verses in Isaiah 49. Let us read Isaiah 49:1 again:

“Listen, O isles [coastlands], unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels [inward parts] of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” (Isaiah 49:1)

The first several times I read this verse I missed this, but the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that in this Scripture verse, Jesus, the coming Messiah, was not speaking to the Jews but to the Gentile nations when He refers to them as “isles” and “ye people, from far.” Contrast this with how God addressed His people the Jews in Isaiah 46:3:

“Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [upheld] by me from the belly [birth], which are carried from the womb: and even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar [gray] hairs will I carry you: II have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:3-4)

God refers to His people in this manner throughout the book of Isaiah and also in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, 1 Kings, Ezra, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Micah, Hosea, Psalms, Amos, Ezekiel, Luke, and Acts.

God established His reference to the Gentile nations as “isles” early on in the Bible, in the book of Genesis after He sent the great flood that destroyed all but eight people - Noah, his wife, their three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) and their three wives:

“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles [coastland peoples] of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue [according to his language], after their families, in their nations.” (Genesis 10:5)

Earlier in the book of Isaiah in chapter 9, there is a prophecy of Jesus and that He would come from the Jews, for it is of the Jewish line of David from which Messiah would come:

“Nevertheless the dimness [gloom] shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations [Gentiles]. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:1-2)

“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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. The Lord sent a word into [against] Jacob, and it hath lighted [fallen] upon Israel.” (Isaiah 9:6-8)

Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures above, and this fulfillment is documented in the book of Matthew. As in the Scriptures I included earlier from Luke 4:14-21, this happened sometime after the devil tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness. Out of all the places in Israel, through the prophet Isaiah, God specifically named the town of Galilee, a land where Jews and Gentiles lived, and that a great light - Jesus - would shine upon it:

“Now when Jesus had heard that John [John the baptist] was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophets saying, The land of Zebulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand [near].” (Matthew 4:12-17)

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils [demons], and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.” (Matthew 4:23-25)

Jesus performed His first miracle in Galilee:

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called [invited], and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted [ran out of] wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear [take it] unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse [inferior]: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth [revealed] his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:1-11)

In God’s word, the Bible, it is clear that Jesus wanted not just the Jews but for everyone to know that He was coming the first time He came to earth, and that is evident in today’s Scripture verse in Isaiah 49:1, just as He wants everyone to know now that He WILL come again.

Let us examine Isaiah 49:1 at a deeper level. Again, I had read this verse several times and at first, I thought the words were referring to the prophet Isaiah. However, unlike with the prophet Jeremiah when God specifically had him write that God had called Jeremiah from his mother’s womb, that is not what we have here in this verse. This is why it is critical that we not only read God’s word for ourselves but we study it, with the Holy Spirit leading us. We must not read it by scanning just a few verses from a chapter and choosing those which we find comfort in at that moment, which I admit I used to do, but we must read the entire chapter and the entire book to learn its deeper meanings. As with any book written by mere men and women, you cannot understand the big picture until you have read the entire book. The same is true with God’s word, the Bible.

With my prior devotional message in Isaiah 46:12-13, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that I must stop relying on commentaries to help me understand God’s word and let the Holy Spirit alone lead me. Commentaries are written by human beings and it is their understanding, which may include bias or false interpretations. It is likely that many commentary authors may have no evil intent in what they write, but some may in order to deceive. It may also be that at the time the commentary was written, some prophetic events in the Bible may have not happened and as we see certain Bible prophecies being fulfilled, it sheds more light on other prophetic events and provides a better understanding. Further, I must admit that when I was relying on commentaries rather than the Bible itself to interpret God’s word, it was like I was reading “fast food,” and I did not need to take the time to really get into God’s word for myself and study it at a much deeper level to see how the Scriptures in the New Testament connect to the Old Testament and how Scriptures within the testaments connect to each other. Hence, when I have taken this time to go deeper, studying God’s word for myself and letting the Holy Spirit interpret it for me, it is taking me much longer to write these devotionals but it doesn’t matter. The point of writing these is not to get a lot of devotionals written quickly but to KNOW God’s word and to KNOW the truth.

Returning to today’s Scripture verse, I say all of this with the point being: I think Isaiah 9:1 is a prophecy that Jesus would be born of a woman and God would speak His name, the name of JESUS. This was not revealed to me by any human commentary but by the Holy Spirit of God. This may not be the first time you have read this and you already knew that, but I did not know that until I was writing this devotional. I cannot tell you how humbled I am by the Holy Spirit of God and how thankful I am to Him for revealing this to me. It was indeed confirmation to me that I must continue to rely on Him alone to understand God’s word. I am reminded of what Jesus said to Peter:

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-17)

Let us consider more about this prophecy of Jesus’ birth in Isaiah 9:1. Before the virgin Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, would be married to him and have sexual intercourse with him, the angel Gabriel appeared before her and told her that she would conceive a Child in her womb, a Son, and His name shall be called JESUS:

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused [betrothed] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail [rejoice], thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast [considered] in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest [Most High]: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man [I am a virgin]? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing [one] which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-35)

Joseph, who was not there with Mary when she was told by the angel Gabriel what would happen to her, found out that Mary was pregnant. Joseph knew it was not his child because they had not yet had come together. After hearing this, Joseph “being a just [upright] man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily [secretly]. (Matthew 1:19) Next, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and in that dream God told Joseph that Mary had conceived a Child by the Holy Spirit and the Child would be a Son whose name was to be JESUS:

“But while he thought on those things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)

Next in Matthew we are told that this would happen so that the prophecy in Isaiah - Isaiah 7:14 - about Messiah’s coming would be fulfilled, and it was. I have included both the prophecy from Isaiah and the fulfillment of it as recorded in Matthew:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not [kept her a virgin] till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:22-25)

This prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah chapter 49 sets the tone, establishing the focus of what this chapter is all about, and that is Jesus. As we will see in the second half of this chapter, it is also about the fact that Jesus will redeem Israel and that He has not forgotten them. Throughout this chapter, we will read many prophecies of Jesus, some of which have been fulfilled, and some are to be fulfilled at some point in the future. Let me ask you this: What are the odds that the prophets could get all of this right? The odds are too high to even imagine, seemingly impossible, but let us consider what the angel Gabriel told Mary after he not only told Mary that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit a Son in her womb but also that her cousin Elisabeth in her old age had conceived a son who would be known as John the baptist:

“And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:36-37)

In closing, I ask you this: In your mind, in your belief in Him, is there anything impossible for God? Do you believe what the true prophets of God have written? Do you believe that Jesus not only came to earth the first time, when He offered salvation from sins, but will come again, but this time as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and will bring judgment upon the wicked who choose to remain in sin and reject salvation? Are you listening to what the true prophets of God have written of Him? ✝️

May 17, 2024: Isaiah 46:12-13 - God has Placed Salvation in Zion

“Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.” (Isaiah 46:12-13)

NOTE: As with all my devotionals, please consider that I am doing my best to understand the prophecies in the Scriptures I have included below. What I have written is my understanding, to the best of my ability, through the guiding of the Holy Spirit.

God, through Isaiah, one of His chosen prophets, is addressing His people to remind them that they are stubborn and would not listen to His warnings. Even though God through His chosen prophets had told His people in advance what would happen to them and to their fathers if they continued sinning against Him, they were stiff-necked and stubborn, refusing to believe anything bad would happen to them. God used Isaiah and Jeremiah to warn them, and His warnings fell on deaf ears. All that God prophesied would happen did happen to His people, who were divided into two kingdoms at that time, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. All that was prophesied of Israel and its near complete destruction by Assyria was fulfilled. All that was prophesied regarding the Jews’ seventy-year captivity in Babylon did happen, and this included mainly those Jews from Judah but also some who, after the Assyrian conquest remained in the land, but reunited with Judah. But there was good news for the Jews: God told them in advance that He would not leave them as captives forever. In His Scriptures, God was giving them a hope and a future, letting them know through the prophet Jeremiah that their time in Babylon would not last forever; it would come to an end. When it would end, He told them He didn’t want them to go back to their old ways, as a dog returns to its own vomit and as a sow who was washed who returns to her filthy mire. He reminded them that they are hardheaded and far from righteousness. He reminded them that righteousness only comes from Him. The words in Isaiah 46:12-13 are not only speaking of the return of the Jews to their land, when a small remnant who were taken captive to Babylon would return to Israel, with the rest choosing to remain in Babylon, but God was also prophesying of the ultimate fulfillment of righteousness which can only come through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus, their Messiah, would come from Zion, out of Israel, out of the people God chose to bring forth the Messiah, and He offers righteousness to all who choose to believe in Him. This prophecy also refers to the fact that a remnant of Jews at the time of Jesus’ second coming WILL turn to Him, will mourn for their sins against Him, acknowledge that He is Messiah, and will be saved.

There are many prophecies of Jesus’ first coming in the book of Isaiah, including the one below, which was also prophesied in the book of Zechariah. Salvation of sins does not come from the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the New Agers, from the Catholic Church, by our “good works,” or from anything or anyone except Jesus; salvation comes from belief in Him as the only One who can save us. Jesus is a Jew, and He was born through a people called by God Himself to bring light into the world. Jesus is our cornerstone, our firm foundation:

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16)

“Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” (Isaiah 62:11)

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just [righteous], and having salvation; lowly [humble], and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9)

“Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner [chief corner stone]: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42)

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The prophecies above from Isaiah and Zechariah were fulfilled when Jesus made His triumphal entry in Jerusalem during His first coming:

“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against [opposite] you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [untie] them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek [lowly], and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strayed [spread] them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:1-9)

Though the majority of the Jews rejected their Messiah - Jesus Christ - there is coming a day when a remnant, those who remain alive after the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, which is the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24, 9:27), will turn to Him and believe in Him as their Messiah. Their hearts will finally be turned to Him, and they will be redeemed of all their sins. Jeremiah and Zechariah also wrote about the time when the Jews will finally turn to Him and will be forgiven of all their iniquities, and Jesus will remember their sins no more. This forgiveness of sins can only come when they turn their hearts to Jesus:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

As prophesied in the Bible, God has placed salvation in Zion for Israel His glory, and that is exactly why the world hates the Jews. The source of this hatred is Satan, and it applies to everyone who has rejected the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Throughout the history of mankind, Satan has tried time and time again to eradicate the Jews, but he will never succeed. Satan hates the Jews because he hates God and he wants to be God. He hates the Jews because it is through them that Jesus the Christ came in order to offer salvation from sins for all who believe on Him. Satan knows the Bible, and he knows it better than most professing Christians. Satan knows that the Bible tells us that Jesus will return one day in His second coming and that this time, it will be for judgment upon the earth, and more specifically to turn the unbelieving Jews to Him as they are put through a refiner’s fire, when they finally realize they need Him and that He is their long-prophesied Messiah. Satan also knows that the Bible foretells of his final end, when he will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where he “shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10) Until that happens, he is doing everything he can to cause chaos in the world and to stir up people against the Jews. Think about it: have you ever seen any other people group more hated in the world than the Jews? We are seeing this hatred increase with fervor, just as it did during WWII with Hitler and the Nazis, and it will continue to increase, just as Zechariah prophesied:

“The burden [oracle or prophecy] of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome [very heavy] stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it [who would heave it away] shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:1-3)

This prophecy tells us that those who gather against Israel and who wish to remove it, to eliminate it, will themselves be cut into pieces. As the Scripture below tells us, it will be God alone who will protect Israel when no other nation will come to their defense, and that includes the United States of America, which until most recently has been a staunch ally of Israel:

“In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment [confusion], and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against [shall not become greater than that of] Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:4-9)

It will be after this happens that the eyes of Israel will be opened and they will finally realize that Jesus, the One whom they pierced, IS their Messiah, and they will mourn greatly for Him as their only Son:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness [grieve] for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart [by itself]; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.” (Zechariah 12:10-14)

As Scripture says above, God will pour upon them “the spirit of grace and supplications.” It is only when they mourn for their sins of rejecting Messiah that God will cleanse them of their sins and cleanse their land:

“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of [depart from] the land.” (Zechariah 13:1-2)

Zechariah 13:3-6 tells us that there is a time coming when false prophets will no more be allowed to speak lies in the name of the Lord as they deceive many, and they will be put to shame and even killed by their own parents and wounded by their friends when they try to propagate lies; only truth will be allowed to prevail:

“And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman [farmer]; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded sin the house of my friends.” (Zechariah 13:3-6)

The intolerance of false prophets is exactly how God intended it to be, and it was written about by Moses in the book of Deuteronomy, which also tells us how to identify false prophets:

“But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

Lies spread like wildfire, and the intent of lies is to deceive people. The source of lies is not of God but of Satan. Billions of people have been deceived by the lies of Satan. Sadly, the majority of people who have died, died in their sins because they chose to believe the lies of Satan, perhaps believing there is no God, or that false gods could save them, or that they didn’t need to be saved, and they chose to reject the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

As we continue reading In Zechariah 13, a prophesy of the first coming of Messiah was made:

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow [companion], saith the LORD of hosts: smite [strike] the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7)

During the Passover meal that Jesus ate with His apostles before He was crucified, Jesus quoted the above Scripture after Judas Iscariot, one of His twelve apostles, had agreed to betray Him for thirty pieces of silver:

“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended [made to stumble] because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.” (Matthew 26:31)

Later that night, Jesus went to the garden to pray, and He took Peter, James, and John with Him. Judas Iscariot, His betrayer, came with a crowd of the Jewish chief priests and elders of the people, armed with “swords and staves.” Judas gave the men he was with a sign, saying the man he would kiss would be the one they should arrest. Judas went to Jesus, “and said, Hail, master [rabbi]; and kissed him.” The men then put their hands on Jesus and took Him. Peter, being filled with anger, took his sword and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest:

“Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.” (Matthew 26:52-56)

Jesus was then brought before Annas, the Jewish high priest, for questioning:

“The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever [always] taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort [meet]; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” (John 18:19-23)

The prophecy in Zechariah 13:7 was fulfilled. The apostles and disciples of Jesus who had put their faith and trust in Him prior to His arrest and death by crucifixion, did stumble in their faith after He was arrested, for they feared what man would do them. However, they would later see Jesus after He rose from the tomb after three days, having their faith renewed. They would later be filled with the power of His Holy Spirit, and would be scattered abroad, preaching the good news of salvation throughout the Roman Empire.

Regarding the last part of Zechariah, 13:7, “and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones," it could mean that God would put His hand against the unbelieving Jews. When compared to the other nations, the Jews at that time - and now - were small in number and insignificant. God would allow them to be persecuted by the world, to be put through the fire. This aligns with what we read next in Zechariah 13:

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try [test] them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried [tested]: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)

This remnant that will be put through the fire was prophesied by Isaiah 10:22-23, and the apostle Paul referenced Isaiah’s prophecy in the book of Romans:

“And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. Esaias [Isaiah] also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as of the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been [would have become] as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.” (Romans 9:26-29)

Long before Jesus came to earth the first time, God told the Jews in advance through the prophets Micah, Isaiah, and others that He would send them their Messiah, who has always existed. Through Micah, God even named the specific town in which Messiah would be born:

“Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite [strike] the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:1-2)

Next Micah tells us:

“Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.” (Micah 5:3)

When I read the subsequent Scriptures in Micah chapter 5 and the context that it provides, to me this means that Jesus will give His people, the Jews, up - meaning He will allow them to be persecuted by their enemies, which is all nations - until their time of sorrows that Jesus discussed in Matthew 24 and also by the prophet Jeremiah has been completed. This is their final time of testing, the time when a one-third remnant will be refined in the fire that Zechariah prophesied of in Zechariah 13:8-9 above.

During the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, also called the Tribulation, the coming final Antichrist will confirm a 7-year covenant with many, that I believe will include the Jews. This begins the 70th week, the final 7 years before Jesus’ second coming, prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 9:27). However, Antichrist will break the covenant 3-1/2 years into it. At that time, Antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation, proclaiming himself to be God in the third Jewish temple, which is still to be built. (See Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15.) It will be at that time that the Jews will realize they have been deceived, and that this man is not who they thought he was, the man they perhaps thought would bring peace to their nation. They will realize he is the Antichrist prophesied of in the book of Revelation (referred to as the beast of the sea). As Jesus said in Matthew 24:16, at that time of their realization, some of the Jews will flee to the mountains. As written in Zechariah 14:2, “and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” Here I believe the word “captivity” means “exile,” and they will flee Israel, fearing for their lives. However, as Jesus told His apostles in Matthew 24:19-20, there will likely be conditions that prevent some from being able to leave, and that includes those who are pregnant and nursing babies, those who are elderly or sick and unable to run for their lives, and those who keep the sabbath and would not flee if it meant fleeing on the sabbath. Thus, half of the one-third remnant will flee to the mountains and the other half will remain in Jerusalem.

Their fleeing is also mentioned in both Revelation 12:6 and 12:14. They will flee “into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore [sixty] days.” (Revelation 12:6), which is 3-1/2 years, the second half of the time of Jacob’s trouble, which is also known as the Great Tribulation. The fact that God says she (Israel) will be fed and nourished makes sense, since no one alive during that time will be able to buy or sell, which includes buying food, without having the mark of the beast and worshipping him. It will be God Himself who will provide for them during that time period; no longer will they be able to depend on anyone or anything but Him for their lives.

The second part of Micah 5:3 says, “then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.” I do not know this for sure, but one possible explanation is that this is the time that Jesus spoke of to His apostles:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 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.” (Matthew 24:29-31)

This is Jesus’ second coming. John the apostle also prophesied of this in Revelation 19:11-21. Two thirds of the Jews will die during the time of Jacob’s trouble, but one-third will survive, and it is them who will finally turn to Jesus in belief and will mourn for Him as a father mourns for his only son. The one-half of the one-third Jewish remnant who had fled Israel at the sign of the abomination of desolation and who were saved by God Himself through the second half of the tribulation by God Himself, will be gathered by the angels, along with everyone who turned to Jesus Christ in belief during that time, and will be gathered together in Jerusalem.

Let us read what is written next in Micah 5:

“And he shall stand and feed [shepherd his flock] in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. And they shall waste [devastate] the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.” (Micah 5:4-6)

The “he” that is referenced in the first sentence is Jesus. It is only at this time when He returns to earth the second time that He will shepherd His flock, all who believe in Him, including both the surviving Jewish remnant and all Gentiles who believe in Him as their Redeemer. It is Jesus alone who is THE peace, as foretold in Isaiah 9:6, “…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” It is Jesus who will protect Israel when the nations, led by the Assyrian. I do not believe this is referring to the Assyrians when they began conquering Israel in 740 BC under King Pul because in Micah 4:1 it is referring to a specific and different time period:

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.” (Micah 4:1)

I believe “the Assyrian” referred to in Micah 5:4-6 above is the final Antichrist discussed in the book of Revelation, and the passage is describing when Antichrist and those allied with him will gather against Jesus at Armageddon. This is also discussed in the book of Revelation:

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14)

Right in the between the verse above and verse 16, the words of Jesus are given to us as a warning that we are to watch, for we know not the hour when Jesus is coming. This is what Jesus had told His apostles in Matthew 24:42-44.

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15)

Let us read what is written next in Revelation 16 and also in Revelation 19, when Jesus returns to earth on a white horse and with His armies in heaven who follow Him and are also on white horses:

“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon [Mount Megiddo].” (Revelation 16:16)

“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” (Revelation 19:19)

Micah then tells us that the surviving remnant of Jacob will be surrounded by many nations, Gentile/non-Jewish nations, who seek their destruction:

“And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off [destroyed].” (Micah 5:7-9)

In this process, God will eliminate all of the strongholds of the remnant of Jacob, their idols and false gods in which they have put their trust since the beginning, and will cause them to rely on Him and Him alone. The remnant of Jacob will not be defeated, but it won’t be their own power that defeats those who come against them. It won’t be their horses and their chariots - their military strength, their Iron Dome, David’s Sling, or nuclear weapons systems - but it will be Jesus Himself as previously mentioned in verse 6, who will deliver them from the Assyrian, the Antichrist, and all who are with him:

“And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” (Micah 5:10-15)

I believe this passage of Scripture aligns with Revelation 19 when Jesus destroys all who come against Him and casts the Antichrist/beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire:

“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls [birds] were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:20-21)

Long ago, King David wrote to his people that they must not trust in themselves, or any nation, government, or anything else to save them but God Himself. While this psalm was a song of prayer that was sung before going into battle, it is also a psalm recognizing it is only Messiah - Jesus Christ - who can save us. But we must cry out to Him, asking Him to save us, recognizing that He is God and only He can save us. It also acknowledges that all who place their trust in anyone or anything else will be brought down and will fall:

“The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed [Messiah, commissioned one]; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.” (Psalm 20)

Whether we are Jew or Gentile, David’s words are true to every single person alive on this earth. May we really think about what David wrote above, and ask ourselves: in whom or in what are we trusting for our lives?

God in His word is clear: righteousness only comes from Him, and it is a gift given to us by His Son Jesus Christ, born from the Jews, for all who believe on Him. That gift was given first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

It is a sad and terrible truth that the majority of mankind loves sin and unrighteousness and refuses to acknowledge that He is God and that salvation is of the Jews. Therefore, they wallow in their sin, and they plot and they take their stand against Jesus Christ, hating Him and hating all who love Him. But there is a time coming when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth, but this time, He won’t come as a gentle Lamb but as the King of kings and Lord of lords executing His justice and righteousness upon a wicked world that chose sin over salvation. They will be without excuse, as Romans 1:18-23 below explains, for God’s existence is evident throughout the world and is clearly seen. Instead of worshipping God, they will worship everything but Him in some form or fashion, and they will become fools. In their foolish thoughts, they will plot against His Anointed Son, Jesus the Christ, thinking they can war against Him and win. They will ignorantly, but voluntarily, be deceived by Satan, who will use them as pawns to try and accomplish his evil intents. Though it may seem that Satan will win, Jesus will destroy Satan and all who align with him. Jesus will repay all who choose sin over righteousness with their due reward.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [suppress] the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest [evident] in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead [divine nature]; so that they are without excuse; because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain [futile] in their imaginations [thoughts], and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible [perishable] man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (Romans 1:18-23)

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine [plot] a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed [Messiah, Christ], saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex [distress] them in his sore [deep] displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations or Gentiles] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2)

After the majority of Israel rejected God’s gift of salvation through faith in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ because of their hardness of hearts, God blinded them in part, provoking them to jealousy, until the fullness of the time of the Gentiles has come, which has not happened yet. The apostle Paul wrote of this in the book of Romans when he explained that God is not finished with the Jewish people; He has not forgotten them and cast them away. Unlike what many churches preach today, the church has NOT replaced Israel:

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid [certainly not]. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye [know] not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged [torn] down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded [hardened] (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber [stupor], eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back away. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall [trespass] salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (Romans 11:1-11)

Though Israel today for the most part is far from God, rejecting His Son Jesus Christ, there is coming a day when all the remnant of Israel who survives the time of Jacob’s trouble will be saved:

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is wriitten, There shall come out of Sion [Zion] the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching [concerning] the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance [irrevocable]. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded [confined] them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Romans 11:25-32)

Paul is writing to the Gentiles who were saved through their faith in Jesus Christ, reminding them that they were ALL sinners in need of the Savior and that they should not put themselves above the Jews because of their unbelief. It was through the Jews’ unbelief that God turned His attention to the Gentiles, offering them salvation, until such time when He turns His attention back to the Jews. That time will happen when Daniel’s 70th week, the time of Jacob’s trouble, begins. For all who believe God is finished with the Jews, you are strongly mistaken, and I encourage you to read and study your Bible and hear what God Himself has to say about them. Yes, they are hardhearted and stubborn, but so are we. It is only by God’s mercy and love that was exemplified in His Son Jesus Christ that we can be forgiven of our sins when we put our faith and trust in Him - and Him alone - to save us. God used the hardening of the hearts of His people the Jews to offer salvation to the Gentiles because He does not want any to perish but for all to come to repentance, to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved. We cannot understand all of God’s ways, but we can and must trust in Him in all things:

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed [repaid] unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity [an idol], nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O yet gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) ✝️

April 28, 2024: Isaiah 46:11 - God's Counsel Shall Stand

“Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” - Isaiah 46:11

In this Scripture verse, God reiterates that it is He Himself who will bring the man whom He has chosen, Cyrus, to free the captives of Judah from the grip of the Babylonian empire. King Cyrus will come like a bird stalking its prey, swooping down upon Babylon, leaving it helpless in the bird’s claws. Let us read the other Scriptures that include these prophecies that foretell of a man not even yet born who would receive power from God Himself to accomplish the work of God:

“Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins [armour] of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass [bronze], and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:1-5)

God gave to Isaiah the prophecy of this man who would be born, would be named Cyrus, would become king of Persia, and would attack and overthrow Babylon, the ruling empire at that time. God tells us His reasons for doing this: that Cyrus and everyone alive would know that He is God and there is no God beside Him and for the sake of His people Israel and Jacob.

Let us read what Wikipedia writes of King Cyrus and the fall of Babylon (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Babylon):

The fall of Babylon was the decisive event that marked the total defeat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire to the Achaemenid Persian Empire in 539 BCE. Nabonidus, the final Babylonian king and son of the Assyrian priestess Adad-guppi,[4] ascended to the throne in 556 BCE, after overthrowing his predecessor Labashi-Marduk. For long periods, he would entrust rule to his son Belshazzar, who was a capable soldier but a poor politician. As a result, he was somewhat unpopular with many of his subjects, particularly the priesthood and the military class.[5] To the east, the Persians had been growing in strength under the leadership of Cyrus the Great, who would soon lead a military expedition into Babylonian territory. In October 539 BCE, after the Battle of Opis, the Persian army made entry into the capital city of Babylon. With the success of Cyrus' campaign, Babylonia was incorporated into the Persian realm as a satrapy. As recorded in the Cyrus Cylinder, Cyrus vowed to respect the Babylonian people and also allowed incarcerated peoples to return to their homelands, most notably including the Babylonians' captives from Judah.

God prophecies He gave through His prophet Isaiah foretold that not only would King Cyrus free the captives of Judah, but he would also make the way for them to rebuild their destroyed city of Jerusalem and rebuild their temple, as the first one had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon:

“I have raised him [Cyrus] up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 45:13)

“Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up the rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:28)

“For thus saith the LORD, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” (Jeremiah 29:10)

2 Chronicles records the proclamation made by King Cyrus regarding him allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple:

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that the made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house [temple] in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.” (2 Chronicles 36:23)

The Jews did exactly that and were in the process of building the temple when their enemies came and said to them:

“Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house [temple] unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of [tried to discourage] the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:2-5)

The non-Jewish people in the surrounding lands of Jerusalem were against the Jews and opposed to their rebuilding of the temple. Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of them even went so far as to write “a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort.” (Ezra 4:8):

“Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. Now because we have [receive] maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet [proper] for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified [informed] the king; that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion [dominion] on this side the river.” (Ezra 4:12-16)

Artaxerxes, the king of Persia at that time, then wrote them back:

“Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them cease by force and power [of arms]. Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (Ezra 4:17-24)

The nations against Israel had a temporary victory against the Jews and caused the rebuilding of the temple that had begun to stop. However, that was not the end and the rebuilding of the temple began in the second year of king Darius. Once again, people came against the Jews because of their rebuilding of the temple and the wall around Jerusalem:

“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river [the Euphrates River], and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house [temple], and to make up [finish] this wall? Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make [were constructing] this building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.” (Ezra 5:1-5)

The men that confronted the Jews who were rebuilding the temple wrote a letter to king Darius. This is what they wrote in the letter:

“The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: they sent a letter to him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house [temple] of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? We asked their names also, to certify [inform] thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.” (Ezra 5:6-10)

They documented in their letter the response of the elders of the Jews to their line of questioning:

“And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house [temple] that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.” (Ezra 5:11-12)

The Jewish elders correctly acknowledged that it was God Himself who had allowed the people of Judah to be taken captive by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar because of their sins against God, and it was He who allowed the king to destroy their temple. The Jews continued:

“But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; and said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even unto now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.” (Ezra 5:13-16)

The elders of the Jews explained to them that not only did Cyrus, who had conquered Babylon, make a decree to build the temple, but he had also ordered that the vessels of the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple to Babylon be returned to the temple in Jerusalem. It was also stated that a Babylonian Jewish governor had laid the foundation of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Tatnai and all who opposed the Jews continued in their letter to the king:

“Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.” (Ezra 5:17)

Tatnai, Shetharboznai, and their companions appealed to king Darius in their letter, asking for proof from the Babylonian archives that king Cyrus had in fact decreed that the Jews, whom he had allowed to return to their homeland in Jerusalem, were allowed to rebuild their temple. Ezra 6 documents what happened next:

“Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls [archives], where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house [Temple} be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house [treasury]: and also let the golden and silver vessels out of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.” (Ezra 6:1-5)

What an astounding decree that had been made by king Cyrus! Not only had he decreed that the Jewish temple in Jerusalem would be built, but it would be strongly constructed and the funding for its construction would be paid for out of king Cyrus’ treasury! He also ordered that the vessels that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the first Jewish temple and sent to Babylon be returned to the rebuilt temple. That is quite astonishing that king Cyrus would make such a decree and that it had been preserved in writing.

Let us read what king Darius then wrote to the men who had opposed the Jewish elders who had begun rebuilding the temple:

“Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.” (Ezra 6:6-8)

I can only imagine that these words Darius wrote to Tatnai, Shetharboznai, and their companions certainly were not what they expected! They had written to him with the goal of stopping the rebuilding of the temple and must certainly not have expected to hear that not only would he allow the rebuilding to continue but that it would be funded by the king’s treasury, as was originally decreed by king Cyrus! Let us read what else king Darius wrote to them:

“And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail: that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and destroy this house [temple] of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.” (Ezra 6:9-12)

King Darius’ words to them are simply amazing to me! Not only was he fully supporting and enforcing the decree his predecessor, King Cyrus, had made regarding the Jews rebuilding their temple, but he also supported and funded the temple sacrifices. Further, Darius said that anyone who would alter his decree would be put to death. In his last stunning statement, he said that God who dwells there in the temple would “destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem.”

Let us read what the response was of Tatnai, Shetharboznai, and those with them when they finished reading Darius’ words to them and what happened afterwards:

“Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.” (Ezra 6:13-15)

The book of Ezra is an astounding testimony to the power of God, the ONLY God, the God of Jacob and Israel. Despite all their attempts in preventing the rebuilding of the second Jewish temple from happening, not only was it rebuilt, but the rebuilding of it was commanded by decree and funded by the kings of the Medo-Persian Empire. God truly had used king Cyrus in an unexpected way to the benefit of the Jews. Long before Cyrus was even born, 150 years before, God had spoken His word about how He would raise up a man named Cyrus whom He would use to free the captives of Judah, allow them to return to their homeland, and provide the means for the temple to be rebuilt. God brought His words to pass through a man from the east who would execute His counsel from a far country. May we know that He is God and there is none else. May we know that there is none like Him. May we remember that whatever He says about Israel will come to pass, and no man nor nation can thwart the plans of God for them. May we remember this as we see in our world today a growing increase in hatred against the Jews, as the Bible foretells would happen in the last days before the return of Christ. May we remember and heed Almighty God’s words to all of us:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burnt the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalm 46)

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:1-4)

“But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and call thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded [disgraced]: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not: I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan [winnow] them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:8-16) ✝️

April 21, 2024: Isaiah 46:8-10 - He is God, and there is None Else

“Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…” - Isaiah 46:8-10

God, through his prophet Isaiah, reminds His people to remember the foolishness of worshipping false gods and comparing them to Him; nothing compares to the one true and Almighty God:

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and even declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6-8)

God tells His people that men act like children when they put their faith and trust in false gods, expecting them to save them out of their troubles and to bless them when they worship them. They are deceived by the source of their false god worship, and that source is Satan. Isaiah wrote of this deception earlier in his book:

“And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree [a block of wood]? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:17-20)

In His word, the Bible, God repeatedly tells Jacob and Israel to remember the things that He has told and shown them. He tells them to be men and not babies, and to know that He alone is God. He tells them in advance - 150 years in advance - of a man who will be born and named Cyrus, who will become king of Persia and will set them free from their captivity in Babylon. It is God Himself who is able to proclaim such a thing before it happened; no false god or idol is able to do such a thing. God challenges them to proclaim something in advance and see if it comes to pass:

“That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. Produce your cause [case], saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought [is nothing]: an abomination is he that chooseth you. I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. Behold, they are all vanity [worthless]; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.” (Isaiah 41:20-29)

God knows that when His people, when anyone, puts their faith and truth in worthless idols and false gods, they set themselves up for disaster to come upon them. That is why He gave us His word long ago that tells us of things that would happen long before they ever happened so that when we read that they have happened or see them happen with our own eyes, we would know that HE IS ALMIGHTY GOD and there is NONE LIKE HIM. I cannot emphasize that enough, but like many people, I had to learn that for myself the hard way. I put my trust in my own false gods and idols, only to learn that they couldn’t save me.

We are at a pivotal point in our world today. As I continue writing this devotional, today is April 14, 2024. It is the day after Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed seven Iranian officials in Syria, two of whom had planned attacks on Israel by their proxies. On April 19, 2024, Israel launched missiles at an air defense radar site near a nuclear facility. Ever since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas in which over 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered, everything has escalated and people are aligning themselves more and more against Israel, exactly as God prophesied would happen in the last days before Jesus’ second coming.

God also prophesied through the prophet Ezekiel of a battle that would happen between Israel and several countries, and one country was named by the former name of Iran, which is Persia. Many people who read and study the Bible, myself included, believe the other countries that are named in the Ezekiel 38-39 war that will be allied with Iran will include Russia, Turkey, Sudan, Libya, and Ethiopia. Dr. Andy Woods also believes the “stan” nations including Afghanistan will also be in this alliance against Israel. Many believe, myself included, that the person named or titled “Gog” who is referred to in Ezekiel 38-39 will be the leader of Russia, which could be Russian President Putin. Time will tell if the events we currently are seeing transpire between Israel and the nations that are coming against it will fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel in chapters 38 and 39. We do know this: it will happen because the word of God said it WILL happen:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me [Ezekiel], saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back [around], and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands [troops]; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands [troops]: and many people with thee.” (Ezekiel 38:1-6)

In the Scriptures above, God told the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to this person named or with the title of “Gog” from “the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” Gotquestions.org explains the origin of “Meshech” and “Tubal”: (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/Meshech-and-Tubal.html)

Meshech (also spelled Meshek) and Tubal were sons of Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah who survived the flood with him (Genesis 10:1–2). Meshech (whose name means “long, tall, or drawn out by force”) is the sixth son of Japheth. The land of Meshech is closely associated with that of Tubal, especially in a prophecy of Ezekiel. The region of Meshech is often identified as being north of the Black Sea (southern Russia and Ukraine and possibly the Republic of Georgia), and Tubal as an area in central Turkey.

The book of Ezekiel is written approximately between 593-565 BC. God is speaking to this person named Gog or possibly where “Gog” is a title, such as “president” is a title, thousands of years before the events foretold in Ezekiel 38-39 would happen. In the Scriptures below, it specifically says it will happen “in the latter years,” and based on Scripture, I do not believe it has happened yet. I believe it very well could be that current Russian president Putin is “Gog” of “Magog” referenced in the Scriptures above. As we know, Russia is at war with Ukraine, and Putin may turn his armies around from Ukraine and head south into Israel with his coalition of nations to invade Israel through the mountains of Israel. God then tells Gog:

“Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come unto the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against [on] the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.” (Ezekiel 38:7-8)

The Scriptures above state that Gog will assemble with his troops and he will be a guard to them. Gog will then go into the land of Israel through the mountains. At the time this will happen, Israel, who will have been scattered among the nations, will be brought back into their land. This is exactly what has been happening since May 14, 1948 when the nation of Israel was formed after WWII. Notice it also says specifically that Gog will come to the land “against [or on] the mountains of Israel.” Pastor Andy Woods in his in-depth study of Ezekiel 36-39 noted that it wasn’t until the Six Day War in 1967 that the mountains of Israel were put back under Israeli control when it won the war and took control from the Jordanian Arabs (see: https://slbc.org/sermon/19432/). This is why it is so critical to Israel that its borders not be set back to what they were prior to 1967, as Israel would be left indefensible. When Barack Obama was president, he specifically urged Israel to return to those borders: See: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43091459)

Obama's urging that a Palestinian state be based on 1967 borders — those that existed before the Six-Day War in which Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza — marked a significant shift in U.S. policy and seemed certain to anger Israel.

People opposed to Israel as well as those claiming to be friends of Israel, including the United States, have been pushing this to this day as part of a “two-state solution,” particularly since the October 7, 2023 attacks, with people supporting the Palestinians chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” What this means with respect to Israel is that “It calls for the establishment of a State of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, erasing the State of Israel and its people.” (See: https://www.ajc.org/translatehate/From-the-River-to-the-Sea)

In the book of Ezekiel chapter 38, God then gives us the reasons why Gog and his troops will invade the land of Israel:

“Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them having dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.” (Ezekiel 38:10-12)

The invasion occurs because Gog wants to take something from Israel and to turn his hand against the people of Israel. What is it that Gog seeks to plunder from Israel? Time will tell.

There is much debate about these verses because it states that Gog will go up into a land where there aren’t any walls and where the people are dwelling safely, and some translations use the word “securely” instead of “safely,” and when the people are at rest. That certainly does not describe Israel in our world today, when it is almost constantly at threat of being attacked by the nations that surround it. This is as recent as April 14, 2024 after Iran attacked Israel directly from within Iran for the first time in history. Let us read more about what God told the prophet Ezekiel to write to Gog of Magog:

“And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen [nations] may know me, when I shall be sanctified [hallowed] in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking [earthquake] in the land of Israel; so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead [bring judgment to him] with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” (Ezekiel 38:15-22)

God is the One who will bring this person named Gog and his armies with him to his land - God’s land - in the latter days. God says His prophets foretold this would happen long ago. Did you catch that? God says: “and I will bring thee against my land.” All of the time we hear the arguing over whose land it is, and God clearly tells us it is HIS land. There will be a great earthquake in Israel, and men all over the world will shake because of what they will see. Gog and his troops with him will turn on each other, striking each other with their swords as they have the wrath of God from heaven sent upon them. God tells us His purpose in doing this:

“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 38:23)

Ezekiel then writes that the ravenous birds and beasts of the field will eat the bodies of Gog and his troops who were with him in the mountains of Israel. God will send a devastating fire in the land of Magog so that they will know that He is the LORD. God tells us that Israel will burn the weapons of Gog and his troops for a period of seven years, and that for seven months, Israel will search for and bury the dead of Gog and his troops. (Ezekiel 39:9-20). God again tells us His purpose in all of this:

“And I will set my glory among the heathen [nations], and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. so the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward. and the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity [bring back the captives) of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; after that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses [unfaithfulness] whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 39:21-29)

God allows His people Israel to make their own choices, and that includes their ability to sin against Him, and He also allows them to suffer the consequences of their sin, just as He allows us to do. In the battle of Gog and Magog, a massive coalition will come against Israel from the north, but it will not be Israel that defends itself from being wiped off from the face of the earth, nor any other nation or alliance of nations. Only God Himself will defend them, causing their enemies to turn against each other and God will bring upon them desolations from heaven. It is only at this point when Israel finally realizes that it was God who will have brought them back into the land of Israel from all of the nations to which they had been scattered and sent into captivity. It will be at this point that Israel will finally turn from their sins and their worship of false gods and idols and will finally turn to their Messiah, Jesus Christ, and will be saved. We know that it is only at this point in time when all their sins will be forgiven, because until they finally turn to Jesus in belief, they will still be in their sins and rebellion against God. When they do finally turn to Jesus, God says He will not need to hide His face from them anymore because of their shame against Him, and that He will “have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 39:29) This is also prophesied in Ezekiel 37:

“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen [nations], whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelllinggplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heaven shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” (Ezekiel 37:21-28)

The people of Israel will never be erased from the earth. God will bring them back from the nations to which they were dispersed, as we have seen being to happen since 1948, and they will be gathered into the land that long ago God gave to them. There is a time coming that Israel will finally dwell in ALL of the land that God gave them and not just part of it, as they have always done. They will be united together, and will not defile themselves, as they currently do and always have, sinning against God. They will finally be cleansed of all their sins. They will have one King over them, and I believe the “David” referred to is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is from the lineage of King David from the tribe of Judah, as written in the Bible. While King David will be resurrected to life and may possibly rule with Jesus in Jerusalem, it will be Jesus Christ who will be their King of kings and Lord of lords, forever.

In the Scripture verses above, God says He will make an everlasting covenant of peace with them. This peace can only come after Jesus Christ returns to earth and after His millennial (1,000-year) reign, when at the end of that reign, He will cast Satan into the eternal lake of fire and all sinners who died in their sin will be cast into it as well, forever eliminating sin. It is only at that time will true peace exist in a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. Thus, we know that these prophecies have not been fulfilled yet and refer to a time yet future, as prophesied in the book of Revelation:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8)

Just as in the book of Isaiah, God gave to the prophet Isaiah His prophecies hundreds of years in advance that foretold of Judah being taken captive to Babylon for seventy years and being set free by a man who would be named Cyrus and would become king of Persia, so too did God give prophesies to a man named Ezekiel that foretells of things to come way into the future, in the latter days. I truly believe that what we are seeing now in April 2024 between Israel and Iran and its other enemies is not the actual battle of Gog and Magog - yet - but it is setting everything in place for it to happen. Alliances are being made between Israel’s enemies, the chess pieces are being placed on the board, but it will be in God’s perfect timing as to when the battle of Gog and Magog happens. When it does, it will be God Himself, the ONLY God, who will defend and save His people Israel; America will not defend them, Israel will not be able to defend itself, and no one will come to the aid of Israel. Until that time comes, we do best to heed God’s word, for even though what He says will happen has not happened yet, IT WILL HAPPEN, for He is God and there is none else. He declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that have not yet happened. His counsel shall stand, and He will do all His pleasure. ✝️

April 9, 2024: Isaiah 46:6-7 - False Gods Cannot Save Anyone

“They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.” - Isaiah 46:6-7

In these two Scripture verses, the prophet Isaiah shows the ridiculousness of trusting in false gods and idols that are made by man’s hands to save them out of their troubles. People spend their gold and silver, their money, to make for themselves false gods and idols and then fall down and worship the things which either they made with their own hands or had someone make for them. They prop up their “gods” and put them in their places. They cry out to their “gods” to save them but their “gods” cannot move from their place and save the ones who created and worshipped them. The pagans would place their “gods” in high places and would go and worship them, and so too did God’s people, the people of Israel.

Long ago, God led His people out of the land of Egypt through His servant Moses, even dividing the Red Sea when they were in hot pursuit by Pharaoh and his army, as God made the way for His people to cross through the sea on dry land, with Pharaoh and his men drowning when God closed up the sea. Three months after they had left Egypt, Moses was leading the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and they camped near Mount Sinai:

“And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare [sustained] you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar [special] treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:3-6)

Moses did as God instructed him to do, and the people said they would obey all that the Lord had spoken. Not long afterward, God called Moses up to Mount Sinai to give Moses His laws, which Moses would then give to Israel:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify [consecrate] them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.” (Exodus 19:10-11)

God told Moses to set a boundary around the mountain and not let the people pass it or go up to the mountain or touch the border of it or else they would be put to death. Moses went down from the mountain and sanctified the people and had them wash their clothes, as God had commanded him. Then:

“And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” (Exodus 19:16-18)

Moses was with the people at the bottom of Mount Sinai when they saw all of this happen. God then called Moses up to top of the mountain to warn him again about the people and that they must not break the boundaries He had set. God told Moses to go back down the mountain and to come back up with Aaron, his brother. Next we are told that God spoke the ten commandments, beginning with the first commandment:

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:1-6)

We are then told:

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed [trembled], and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove [test] you and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.” (Exodus 20:18-24)

God then gave Moses the judgments and laws for the people (Exodus 21-23). Moses went and told the people the words of God and the judgments that God had given him:

“…and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said we will do. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” (Exodus 24:3-8)

God then told Moses:

“Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.” (Exodus 24:12)

“And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.” (Exodus 24:15-18)

While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the tables of stone, the law, and the commandments from God, the people began to doubt whether he was coming back and they wanted to make for themselves a golden calf and to worship it. They told Moses’ brother Aaron:

“Up, make us gods [a god], which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot [know] not what is become of him.” (Exodus 32:1)

Aaron then told the people to gather all of the gold they had, and then:

“And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.” (Exodus 32:4-6)

Here were God’s people who only days prior had seen the power of God on Mount Sinai, with the thunders and lightnings and the noise of the trumpet, and had heard the commandments of God. They had heard Moses tell them that God was testing them so that they would not sin. They had heard God’s first commandment to them that they shall not make and worship any gods but Him, and yet, they had so quickly forgotten all of this. They had forgotten that it was God’s mighty hand that had parted the Red Sea for them so that they could escape from their bondage in Egypt, and now they said it was the golden calf which they had made with their own hands that had saved them and brought them out of Egypt. Here were the same people who only days prior had said that they would obey all of God’s commandments to them. They had quickly returned to their sinful ways and worshipped false gods, as their slaveholders had done in Egypt. God knew this was happening and told Moses to go back down the mountain to the people:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down, for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:7-8)

What transpired next was a conversation between God and Moses, where God told Moses He was going to destroy the Israelites because of their sin and instead would make a great nation out of Moses. However, Moses intervened for his people the Israelites and pled with God to remember His eternal covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked [stubborn] people: now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief [harm] did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil [relent from this harm] against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil [relented of the harm] which he thought to do unto his people.” (Exodus 32:9-14)

Moses then took the two tables of testimony that God had given him which were “tables of stone, written with the finger of God,” (Exodus 31:18, 32:15-16) and went down the mountain. Moses was furious when he saw the people singing and dancing naked around the golden calf, and he took the stone tablets and threw them down, breaking them. He then went and took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire. He took the ashes and ground them into powder, mixed them with water, and made the people drink it. Moses asked Aaron what did the people do to him that would cause him to bring such a great sin upon them. Aaron told Moses not to be so angry with him because he knew that the people were set on mischief or evil. Aaron said the people had told him to make them gods because they didn’t know what had happened to Moses. Aaron said he had told the people to bring him all of their gold and when they did, “…I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.” (Exodus 32:24) Here we have Moses’ brother Aaron outright lying about his role in partaking of the sin of the people, for we know the Bible tells us that he was the one who had made the golden calf with his graving tool. This reminds me of the book of Genesis when Adam and Eve had sinned and had eaten of the fruit of the only tree from which God had commanded them not to eat. Adam blamed his sin on Eve, reminding God that He had given her to him to be with him, and Eve blamed her sin on the serpent. How often do we, when we are caught in our sin, try to blame someone else instead of taking responsibility for it ourselves? How many of us have blamed God for our sin? How many of us have lied about the sins we have committed and not taking responsibility for them?

Moses then asked the people:

“…Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come onto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.” (Exodus 32:26-28)

Moses commanded the sons of Levi, who were from the tribe of Levi which God had chosen to serve as priests, to kill all those who were not on God’s side, and they did. Those who died must have decided they didn’t want to trust in God but wanted to put their trust in the golden calf which they had made with their own hands. Did the golden calf save anyone? Did it save any of the three thousand men who died? Could it save itself from being burned in the fire by Moses? No, it did not, and it burned in the fire. This is a clear example of what happens when we put our faith and trust in idols and false gods to save us. If we persist in our worship of any false god or idol other than the one true God, instead of being saved, we will die and be burned in the eternal lake of fire in a place called hell. This is why God’s first commandment to us is that we shall have no other gods before Him, we shall not make any graven image, and we shall not bow down to false gods and idols nor worship them. This commandment still holds true for us today, and sadly, most people completely ignore it.

An idol or a false god can be anything we place above God and which we worship. It doesn’t have to be a golden calf. If there is anything we put above God, it is an idol. This can even be a family member. It can be a president or someone running for president who promises to “make America great again” or “build back better.” It can be a doctor or a medicine that we think we absolutely cannot live without. It can be a job or our home. It can be a sports team or an entertainer. Again, it is anything we place above God. It can even be ourselves; how many people do we know who are their own gods? In our age of social media, many people have become their own gods, taking photo after photo of themselves and putting them on their social media accounts so that people can look at them and “like and share” them. Sadly, the worship of false gods and idols is running rampant in our world today. We are no different than the Israelites who quickly turned from believing in the one true God to believing in a golden calf which they made with their own hands to save them. If anyone persists in their worship of false gods and idols, their eternity will be spent in a place called hell, where there is no joy, no peace, no happiness, and no salvation from sins.

Returning to today’s Scripture verses in Isaiah 46: 6-7, God was warning the Jews from Judah who would be held captive in Babylon but freed seventy years later to remember that false gods cannot save them. Again, we must remember this was prophecy and was written in advance, even before they had been taken captive to Babylon. God was warning them that when they would return from Babylon not to fall back into worshipping false gods and idols. He wanted them to know that it is only Him who could save them. He wanted them to trust in Him to deliver them. His words to them also apply to us today, whether we are Jew or Gentile.

I don’t think it is any coincidence that on the day Moses came down from speaking to God and receiving His commandments and laws that three thousand people were killed, which is the same number of people that were saved many years later on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the apostles and disciples of Jesus and Peter preached the message of salvation to the Jews in Jerusalem.

In the book of Exodus, the three thousand were killed because they chose to worship the golden calf, a false god, and instead of asking God to forgive them, they chose to remain in their worship of their false god instead of worshipping the one true God. Remember, this is in the early days after the exodus from Egypt. Now, fast forward to the New Testament. Before Jesus was crucified, He promised His disciples that after He died and went to His Father’s house, He would send His Holy Ghost, also called the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and the Helper, to dwell within them:

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter [Helper] that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:16-17)

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:26)

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself [on his own authority]; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (Jesus Christ; John 16:13-15)

After Jesus had been crucified, died, laid in a tomb, rose again three days later, and was with His disciples for forty days, and before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem until they would receive the Holy Ghost:

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye [stay] in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49)

Just as Jesus promised, after He ascended to heaven, He did send the Holy Ghost upon His apostles and disciples:

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord [purpose or mind] in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven [divided] tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)

After receiving the Holy Ghost, Jesus’ apostles and disciples were in Jerusalem and were telling all the devout Jews and people there who were from many nations about Jesus. The apostles and disciples were speaking in the languages of the people who were from the foreign nations. God had given Jesus’ apostles and disciples the ability to speak and to understand languages that they did not comprehend prior to being filled with the Holy Ghost. Instead of being amazed at this miracle, some people mocked them and accused them of being drunk with new wine:

“Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy…” (Acts 2:13-18)

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21)

“This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:32-36)

Peter told them that it wasn’t David who could save them but Jesus Christ, and it wasn’t David who was sitting at the right hand of God the Father but Jesus Christ, the same Jesus whom they had crucified. Next, the Bible tells us what their response was to Peter’s words:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart [cut to the heart], and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [forgiveness] of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from the untoward [crooked] generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:37-41)

Again, I think it is no coincidence that in the book of Exodus, there were three thousand of God’s people, the Israelites, who were killed by the sons of Levi because they chose to stand against God and bow down and worship the false god they had made, the golden calf, instead of worshipping God Almighty but here in the book of Acts, we have three thousand of God’s people who had just heard the words of Peter spoken to them through the power of the Holy Spirit that had just came upon him and the other disciples of Jesus, whose hearts were repentant for what they had done to Jesus, and they turned to Him in belief and were saved. It is a clear contrast of what happens when we worship idols and false gods and when we worship the one true God. That golden calf could not - and did not - save anyone, nor can any other false god or idol; only the one true God, Jesus Christ, God incarnate, can save us.

The ultimate act of false god worship is soon to come in our world, before the second coming of Jesus Christ. The man of sin, the son of perdition, the final antichrist will soon come to power with a tyrannical reign of terror that has never been seen before, nor will ever be seen again. The books of Daniel and Revelation speak of this final seven years on earth when the antichrist, called the “beast,” will receive power from Satan and will be aligned with the false prophet, who will force everyone alive at that time to receive the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name, which is 666, on their right hand or their forehead, AND worship the image of the beast. No one will be able to buy or sell without doing this. All who refuse will be killed. All who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation from sins by believing in Him and being born again and who take the mark/name or number of the beast will set their location for their eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone and will never be able to escape it. When Jesus Christ returns as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS to judge the earth at His second coming, their “god” and their wicked and unholy trinity of Satan, also called the dragon, Devil, serpent, and Lucifer, the beast/antichrist, and the false prophet will ultimately be cast into the eternal lake of fire, along with everyone who worshipped them:

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fire linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] 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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond [slave], both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken [captured], and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-21)

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed [released] a little season [while].” (Revelation 20:1-3)

'“And when the thousand years are expired [completed], Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed [surrounded] the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)

Revelation 20 goes on to tell us that after the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth, everyone who had died in their sins and was not saved by their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will be resurrected, found guilty of their sins because their names will not be written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) book of life and will be judged by what they did in their lives. Because there is absolutely nothing we can do to save ourselves, no matter how “good” we think we are, and it is only the blood of Jesus Christ that can save us and we are washed in it and made white as snow when we believe in Him for our salvation, everyone at that time and in that courtroom scene of the great white throne judgment will be found guilty:

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

“But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers [sexually immoral], and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

In closing, I ask you: In whom or what are you relying to save you - a golden calf or Jesus Christ?

April 2, 2024: Isaiah 46:5 - To Whom will You Compare God?

“To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?” - Isaiah 46:5

In this Scripture verse, God asks His people - the house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Jacob - a question: to whom will you compare Me and make Me equal? God had sent His prophet Isaiah to warn His people who were in the southern kingdom of Judah of the divided land of Israel. As their fellow Jews in the northern kingdom of Israel had done, the Jews in the southern kingdom had sinned deeply against God. While the southern kingdom had both good and bad kings, unlike Israel which had all bad kings, Judah had still sinned against God. Consequently, God chose Isaiah and gave him a single vision and had him tell it to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amor, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib [manger or feed trough]: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified [soothed] with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, anti is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.” (Isaiah 1:1-7)

While the people of Judah and Jerusalem sacrificed to God with various offerings, they did not sacrifice to God with their heart; it was only religion to them and not a true love and respect for Almighty God. Isaiah told them that God did not want their religious sacrifices anymore to Him because they meant nothing to Him. Isaiah told them what God wanted from them:

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment [justice], relieve the oppressed, judge [vindicate or defend] the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16-17)

Read what God had Isaiah told them next:

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

God wanted His people to turn away from their sins and to return to Him. He did not want them to have to suffer the consequences of their sins. He told them He was willing to forgive them of all their sins, to make them white as snow, if they would just stop rebelling against Him and listen to Him. How many of us have been as them? Instead of listening to the voice of God that tells us not to do something, we move forward steadfastly in our fleshly desires, even as we know that it’s not good for us and may even bring destruction upon us? God then told them they have one of two paths to take:

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20)

He told them they would have to choose whether they would submit their will to God and obey Him, or they would continue in their rebellion against Him and be devoured with the sword. God would allow His people to be purged of their sins by allowing them to suffer the consequences of their sins. While many would die in the process, He would save a remnant of them:

“Therefore saith the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of [be relieved of] mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: and I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross [thoroughly cleanse or refine with lye], and take away all thy tin [alloy]: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts [returners] with righteousness.” (Isaiah 1:24-27)

God was telling His people, the people of Judah and Jerusalem, that they had become His adversaries and His enemies, and if they continued in their rebellion and disobedience, He would remove His blessings from them and would turn His hand upon them.

Many years before it happened, God would prophecy through Isaiah that because of Judah and Jerusalem’s severe sins against, Him, they would be conquered by the Babylonian Empire, with the majority of them being taken captive to Babylon for a period of seventy years as prophesied by Jeremiah. At the end of that period of seventy years, God would raise up a Persian king by the name of Cyrus who had not even been born when Isaiah gave the prophecy. God would use King Cyrus to lead the Medo-Persian Empire and conquer Babylon and allow the captives of Judah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their destroyed city and Temple.

God foretold all of this in advance to warn them of what would come if they continued on their destructive path of sinning against Him and also to show them that there is no God but Him; He alone is Almighty God and they should put their faith and trust in Him and not in false gods, idols, and in man.

When God spoke, through the prophet Isaiah, to Cyrus, who would not be born until approximately 150 years later, God said:

“Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden [held], to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass [bronze], and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there his none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west [to its setting], the there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:1-6)

Isaiah prophesied to the people of Judah for at least forty years and during the reign of four different kings of Judah - Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. They heard the vision that God had given Isaiah. They heard the repeated warnings of God to turn away from their false gods and idols and to return to Him, and yet they did not obey God but continued in their rebellion against Him. Through Isaiah, God continued to warn them that judgment was coming and they would be attacked by nations from afar who would take them away:

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward [a bribe], and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten [stricken] them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss [whistle] unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: none shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of [belt on] their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes [strap of their sandals] be broken: whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.” (Isaiah 5:20-30)

The latter part of the prophesy from Isaiah 1:24-27 has only been partially fulfilled. We know some of the captives of Judah and a small remnant of Israel (2 Chronicles 34:9, 21) did return to their land and rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple. However, they were still not righteous nor faithful to God and eventually would reject God’s own Son Jesus Christ. It is only when a remnant of the Jews will finally turn to Him in belief in the end of days that “…thou shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness,” as prophesied in Isaiah 1:26-27.

As Scripture tells us, the kings and the people of Judah and Jerusalem did not heed God’s warnings to them. They did not believe God when He said to them, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21) They did not want to come and reason together with God so that their scarlet sins could be washed as white as snow, as He asked them to do in Isaiah 1:18. No, they wanted to continue going their own way, sinning their sins, worshipping their false gods and idols, and yet still expecting to receive all the blessings of God. They did not want hardship or suffering; they wanted only the good stuff. Does that sound any different from our societies today in our world, in countries who profess to believe in Jesus Christ, God the Son whom God the Father sent? We refuse to hear the negative things that warn us of God’s impending judgment against us; rather, we only listen to cherry-picked Bible verses that build us up and make us feel good about ourselves. We are no different than the people to whom Isaiah prophesied all those years ago. As Isaiah and many other prophets warned us, God’s judgment is coming, in fact, I believe it is already upon us. God Himself judged His own chosen people because of their sins against Him and their disobedience to Him. Are we to expect that He will not judge us as well?

God gave us His word so that we will read it for ourselves and know that there is no other God besides Him:

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” (2 Samuel 7:22)

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:1)

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, I am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:18)

“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [take an oath]. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” (Isaiah 45:20-25)

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Jesus Christ; Revelation 22:13)

He has written in His word of things that would come long before they would happen so that when they do happen, we would know that He IS God and there is none like Him. There is no other book ever written that foretells the future with such precise accuracy as the Holy word of God; nothing compares to it and nothing compares to Him. We either believe it or we don’t. I can’t make you believe it, just like no one could make me believe in Him; I had to make the choice for myself. As my nation, the United States of America, and many other nations spiral downward in our love of putrid sin, I provide yet another warning of Isaiah, as he warned his own people of what was to come:

“For Jerusalem is ruined [has stumbled], and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of [rebel against] his glory. The shew of their countenance [look on their faces] doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” (Isaiah 3:8-11)

In closing, notice that in the above Scripture that this warning also speaks to those who are righteous and “that it shall be well with him.” Our righteousness does not come from ourselves but only from God Himself by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to wash us clean from all sins. This comes only by being born again by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior:

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons [children] of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made [became] flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:11-14)

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:1-6)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“I and my Father are one.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:30)

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:14-15)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray [implore] you in Christ’s stead [behalf], be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

God is speaking to us through His word, the Bible, and through His Holy Spirit. Are you listening? Have you read the Scriptures that tell us of what is to come upon the whole world? When God’s judgment falls upon us, and it will, just as it was foretold long ago, to whom will you run for safety? Will you run to a false god, an idol, to save you? Is there any comparison between them and God? God has given us that answer. To whom will you compare God? ✝️

March 27, 2024: Isaiah 46:3-4 - God Made Us, and He Carries Us

“Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: and even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:3-4)

After having prophesied to Israel what will happen to the Babylonians and their false gods, Babylonian false gods, that they will be cast down and carted off, unable to deliver the Babylonians who worshipped them who themselves are now taken into captivity, the same Babylonians who had taken God’s people captive from the land of Judah when the nation of Israel was divided into the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel, Isaiah the prophet now reminds Israel that God is THE God who has born them, has carried them, and will carry them all the days of their lives, even until their hair turns grey. It is God alone who will deliver them.

Isaiah begins this verse with the words “Hearken unto me” or “Listen to me.” How many times do we hear something but not listen to what is being said? God wants their full attention, and He is addressing not only the Jews from Judah but all of His people, the “house of Jacob” and “the remnant of the house of Israel.” But who is this “house of Jacob” and “the remnant of the house of Israel”? Let’s read about it in the Bible before we continue with the rest of today’s Scripture verses.

Long before the nation of Israel was born, God called a man named Abram, whom God would later rename to Abraham, who was married to Sarai, whom God would later rename to Sarah, to leave the place where he was living with his father and family and go to a land that God would show him. God then told him:

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

Abram, who was 75-years old, did as God told him to do, and he took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, and all that Abram and Lot owned, their herds and flocks, and their servants. Abram and Sarai had no children. When they entered the land that God told them to go to, they realized that the land would not be sufficient in size to support both of Abram and Lot’s herds and flocks. Abram told Lot to choose where he wanted to go and that he would then go in the opposite direction. Lot chose to go to the plain of Jordan because it was “well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.” Lot “pitched his tent toward [as far as] Sodom.” Abram then went to the land of Canaan. (Genesis 13:1-12)

When God made the promise to Abram that is written about in Genesis 12:2-3 that He would make Abram into a great nation, God meant that He would give Abram descendants, i.e., a child, who would then multiply and become a great nation. However, when God gave Abram this promise, Abram was already 75-years old and his wife Sarai was 65 and they had no children, but Abram had obeyed God and went where God had told him to go. As time went on, Abram said to God that time had passed and yet he and Sarai still had no children and Abram wanted to know if a servant of his should be made his heir. God said no, that Abram’s heir would come from his bowels, meaning it would be his own child from his blood and not someone else’s. To confirm this, God renewed His unconditional covenant with Abram with a blood sacrifice of animals. However, unlike the covenants that were done in those days where both participants of the covenant were awake, God caused Abram to fall into a deep sleep and made the covenant with Abram unilaterally; God made the covenant by Himself alone. During this time when Abram was sleeping, God had shown Abram that his future descendants would be in a land that was not theirs, which we know now would be Egypt. They would serve the Egyptians for 400 years, and after that, God would judge their captors and would bring Abram’s descendants out of Egypt with many possessions. However, the Bible tells us that God would not bring them out of the land of Egypt until after 400 years had passed because the sins of the Amorites, who were in the land that God would bring Abram’s descendants into, were not yet full. God would give the Amorites over 400 years to change their ways and turn from their sins before He would bring judgment upon them. God then renewed His covenant with Abram:

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed [descendants] have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” (Genesis 15:18-21)

After having grown restless because ten years later, Sarai still had not borne a child with Abram, she proposed that he have a child with her handmaiden named Hagar. Abram did have sexual intercourse with Hagar, and Hagar bore a child named Ishmael. Abram was 86-years old when Ishmael was born. Thirteen years later when Abram was 99, God appeared to him again and confirmed to Abram that His covenant would be between Him and the child that would be born between Abram and Sarai and that His covenant would not be between Him and Ishmael. He also told Abram that He was changing his name to “Abraham” and Sarai’s name to “Sarah”:

“I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect [blameless]. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” (Genesis 17:1-2)

“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed [descendants] after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.” (Genesis 17:17-21)

And that is exactly what happened:

“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.” (Genesis 21:1-5)

Abraham’s son Isaac would grow up and have two sons of his own with his wife Rebekah. The two sons were twins, and were named Esau and Jacob. While Rebekah was still pregnant with them:

“The LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23)

Because God knows the end from the beginning, God knew that the eldest child would serve the younger and had declared such to Rebekah. The firstborn son was Esau, and the younger son was Jacob. As was custom, Esau had the birthright as the eldest son. Esau had red hair and was a skillful hunter. The Bible tells us that Isaac loved Esau and his mother loved Jacob. Years later, one day after Esau went hunting and came in hungry, he smelled a delicious stew that his brother Jacob was making:

“And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage [a cooked stew]; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom [red]. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:30-34)

Esau clearly did not value his birthright and put his fleshly desire, his hunger, above it. He exaggerated his condition of hunger, saying he was at the point of death, in order to justify selling his birthright. He later would regret that decision and hold it against Jacob. However, Esau did not have to accept Jacob’s offer, but he chose to accept it, and he would have to deal with the consequences of the poor choice he had made, just as we do in our own lives.

Years later, when Isaac was very old and could not see, he told Esau to go get some venison and make him some food with it and bring it to him so that he could bless Esau before he died. Rebekah found out about it, and she had Jacob pretend that he was Esau in order for Jacob to receive Isaac’s blessing instead of Esau. Jacob did receive his father’s blessing. Later, when Esau came in to receive his father’s blessing, Isaac trembled exceedingly when he realized that he had blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Esau then “cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry.” (Genesis 27:34). Esau then asked his father if he had reserved a blessing for him:

“And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord [master], and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness [of the fertility] of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion [become restless], that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.” (Genesis 27:37-41)

Their mother heard what Esau planned to do. She told Jacob to go and stay with her brother until Esau calmed down. Rebekah then told Isaac she was worried for her life if Jacob were to marry a Canaanite woman. Isaac then told Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman but to go to his mother’s brother, Laban’s house in Padan-aram and to take a wife from Laban’s daughters. Esau overheard this and did the opposite of what his father had told his brother, and Esau took Canaanites wives for himself. Notice in the Scripture verses above from Genesis 25:30-34 that it says of Esau, “therefore was his name called Edom,” which means “red.” Esau’s descendants would be called the Edomites, and they would never get along with Israel, Jacob’s descendants, and would fight against them. Esau purposely married Canaanite women who worshipped false gods, and the Edomites would be pagans and would worship false gods instead of the one true God. Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites, though they often strayed, would follow the one true God. The prophets Jeremiah and Obadiah prophesied of what would happen to Esau’s descendants, the Edomites:

“But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled [descendants are plundered], and his brethren, and his neighbors, and he is not [no more].” (Jeremiah 49:10)

“And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining [survivor] of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.” (Obadiah 19)

Much later, the writer in the New Testament book of Hebrews would caution us that our actions do have consequences, just as they did for Esau. It reminds us that we must not let our fleshly desires rule us. We must not let bitterness fester in our hearts, as it did with Esau when he sought to kill his brother and when he purposely married women who did not follow the God of his father:

“Follow [pursue] peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail [fall short] of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane [godless] person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat [food] sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited [wanted to inherit] the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Hebrews 12:14-17)

Isaac then sent Jacob away to his uncle’s house in Padan-arm. While on his way there, Jacob had a dream in which he saw a ladder that reached to heaven, with angels of God going up and down the ladder. In the dream, Jacob was told by God:

And, behold, the LORD stood above it [the ladder], and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed [descendants]; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:13-15)

Jacob arrived in Padan-aram and served his uncle Laban and married two of his daughters, Rachel and Leah. Laban had dealt deceptively with Jacob during that time, but Jacob had remained in the land. Jacob had lived in the land of his father-in-law for twenty years when God told Jacob to return to the land of his family:

“And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.” (Genesis 31:3)

Jacob left with his two wives, eleven sons, servants, and property without telling Laban, and Laban was upset and pursued them and overtook Jacob. Laban and Jacob finally ended up reaching an agreement and made a covenant between them. Laban gave Jacob his blessing for them to leave and to return to Jacob’s homeland.

Jacob and all who were with them continued on their journey to Jacob’s homeland. However, Jacob was deeply concerned about what his brother Esau’s reaction would be when Jacob returned home. Thus, Jacob sent messengers to Esau to tell Esau that Jacob wanted to return home. The messengers returned and said they were met by Esau and four hundred men with him. Jacob became even more afraid and kept coming up with plan after plan on how to meet with Esau. In his despair, he cried out to God:

“And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands [companies]. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite [attack] me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” (Genesis 32:9-12)

Jacob was still in fear and continued to try and figure out a way to meet with Esau that would not end up with him and all his family being hurt or murdered. Jacob sent presents of livestock to Esau in multiple waves of his servants. One night after Jacob sent all of his family over a brook:

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched [struck] the hollow of his thigh [hip]; and the hollow [socket] of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel [Prince with God]: for as a prince hast thou power with God [for you have struggled with God] and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.” (Genesis 32:24-29)

Did you notice in the Scripture above that Jacob asked the man for his name but was not told it? Did you notice that after Jacob asked for the man’s blessing, he was given the blessing? In the next passage of Scripture, we are told that Jacob realized it was God with whom he had wrestled:

“And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [Face of God]: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel [Face of God] the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh [limped on his hip]. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew [muscle] which shrank, which is upon the hollow [socket] of the thigh [hip] unto this day: because he touched [struck] the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.” (Genesis 32:30-32)

How many times in our own lives have we struggled with God, as Jacob did? How many times have we been all alone, with no one and nothing else left to provide comfort to us but Almighty God? Jacob was far from perfect, and yet God would use him in a mighty way, and even changed his name to Israel. Whether or not we want to admit it, we all struggle with God in our lives, and God’s blessing upon us will only come when we have fully submitted to Him. For Jacob, that meant even being struck in the hip and being affected by it for the rest of his life, but God saved him and his family. We are told next in Genesis 33 that Jacob did finally meet with his brother Esau and all was well between them. Esau had forgiven Jacob and let him and his family pass through to where they would build their home, and Esau returned to his home in Seir. God had given Jacob His blessing and Esau’s attitude toward seeing Jacob return home reflected that blessing.

Later, God told Jacob to go to a place called Beth-el in the land of Canaan to live there and to make an altar to Him. God appeared to him again, reconfirming that Jacob’s name would be changed to “Israel”:

“And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed [descendants] after thee will I give the land.” (Genesis 35:10-12)

Jacob would go on to become the father of twelve sons, who would become the twelve tribes of Israel:

“Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan-aram. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.” (Genesis 35:22-27)

Thus, this is why God had Isaiah address today’s passage of Scripture to the “house of Jacob” and to “all the remnant of the house of Israel.”

Many years later, Israel would be divided into the northern kingdom of Israel, comprised of ten of the twelve tribes and the southern kingdom of Judah, comprised of two of the tribes, which were Judah and Benjamin. Because of Israel’s sins against Him, particularly because of their worship of false gods and idols, God would allow the northern kingdom of Israel to be conquered by Assyria. Many people in Israel would be taken captive by the Assyrians and kicked out of the land of Israel. Only a small remnant of the ten tribes of Israel would remain in Israel.

The Assyrians would also threaten Judah and Jerusalem until God would intervene (2 Chronicles 32:22). Later, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, would overtake Judah and Jerusalem and would take most of its people captive to Babylon. There they would serve their captors for a period of seventy years. God allowed this seventy-year period of suffering and anguish to happen for a purpose: for Israel to see that He alone is God and that there is no other. He did this to show them that He would not pollute or profane His name and He would not forget His promises to them. He did this to show them that they need Him, and that it is in Him alone where salvation is found.

God, through the prophet Isaiah, prophesied about a man whom God identified by name 150 years before he was even born, the man Cyrus. Cyrus would become the great king from the Persian empire that would ally itself with the Medes. God would raise up this king to let the people of Judah return to their land after their seventy years in captivity in Babylon (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1, 45:13). It would be King Cyrus who would assist the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem and the Jewish temple:

“That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden [held], to subdue the nations before him; and I will loose the loins [armour] of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [double doors]; and the gates shall not be shut…” (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1)

God told His people this in advance, long before it happened, so that they would know it was Him that caused it to happen and not any of their idols. God told them it would happen long before it happened so that they knew God was testing them but He would not allow all of them die. He would save a remnant of them and bring them back into their land of Israel:

“Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass [bronze]; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed [proclaimed] it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thous didst not know them.” (Isaiah 48:4-6)

“For my name’s sake will I defer [delay] mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain [restrain] for thee, that I cut thee not off [destroy thee not]. Behold, I have refined [tested] thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted [profaned]? and I will not give my glory unto another. Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hands hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned [stretched out] the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up all together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do all his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.” (Isaiah 48:9-15)

As written about in 2 Chronicles 36, the prophecy previously made by Jeremiah that said Judah would be set free from Babylon after 70 years of captivity there (Jeremiah 25:9-12, 27:6-8, 29:10), would be fulfilled:

“To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten [seventy] years. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house [Temple] in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.” (2 Chronicles 36:21-23)

In today’s Scripture verses from Isaiah 46:3-4, God was reminding His people that it was He who had created them and had carried them to that point from birth. He was reminding them that it is He alone who will carry them to their old age. God was reminding them to listen to Him. He was showing them what happens when people put their trust in false gods and idols: they cannot save anyone; it is only Him who could save them.

In all of Israel’s struggles against God, God remained faithful to them at that time, as He remains faithful to them today. He will not cast them away. He will not break His everlasting covenant that He made with them. He reassures them of this in Isaiah 41:

“But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded [disgraced]: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought [as nothing]. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:8-14)

Notice in that last sentence of the Scripture above, God refers to Jacob as a “worm.” Worms are small and insignificant. They are likely to be plucked up and eaten by birds. They can be walked on and crushed by the feet of people. They are completely helpless. That is a perfect analogy for the people of Israel, for without God, they are completely helpless, and it is why God has carried them from the beginning and will carry them through to the end.

Gotquestions.org has a good article about why God referred to Jacob as a “worm,” and it notes that the word “worm” in Hebrew is “tola” and it can mean either “worm” or “scarlet material.” The article goes on to describe a specific type of worm that leaves a red or scarlet color when it dies: (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/worm-Jacob.html)

“The “worm” in question is usually identified as the Coccus ilicis, an insect that was used in ancient times to make scarlet dye. When a female “scarlet worm” is ready to have young, it permanently attaches itself to the trunk of a tree and lays its eggs. The insect then dies and in death turns crimson, staining the surrounding wood scarlet as well. The dead bodies of these insects were then collected and the scarlet fluid extracted; the resulting brilliant dye was prized for coloring fabric and thread.”

The article discusses how Jesus called Himself a “worm” in a Messianic Psalm, Psalm 22:6:

Significantly, the word tola is also found Psalm 22:6, a messianic psalm. Here, the Messiah says, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people,” and goes on to describe His pierced hands and feet (verse 16), the mockery of the onlookers (verse 7), and the gambling over His clothing (verse 18). Like the little “crimson worm,” the Messiah was deemed frail, lowly, and insignificant. “He made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7). Like the “crimson worm,” Jesus hung from a tree, stained the wood crimson, and died giving life to others.

I do not think it is any coincidence that God referred to Jacob as a worm, for it is from the descendants of Jacob that the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, would come:

“I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.” (Isaiah 46:13)

When God decided to create Israel from the man he chose named Abraham and his wife named Sarah, God knew that Israel would struggle against Him, that they would sin and put their faith and trust in men, in false gods, and in idols instead of in Him, and yet, He still chose them to carry out His purposes. God allowed them to make their own choices and to receive the consequences of those poor choices. Similarly, before God created each and every one of us, He knew all our sins that we would commit, and yet, He still created us. God allows us to make poor choices and to receive the consequences of those poor choices.

Let us read some more of the words of God that He spoke to His people Israel through Isaiah, and let us take particular notice to the love of God that is expressed to them. To recap, God would use the king of Persia to set the captives of Judah free from Babylon and allow them to return to their land Israel, where they would rebuild Jerusalem and build a new Temple. Before that would happen, God wanted His people to hear Him, to hear His words of love to them. He wanted to remind them of the futility that happens when they themselves had worshipped false gods and idols, just as the Babylonians had done. He wanted to tell them that He had not forgotten them and that He had forgiven them of their sins:

“Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel, Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity [useless]; and their delectable [precious] things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows [companions] shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.” (Isaiah 44:1-11)

“Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of [by] me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.” (Isaiah 44:21-23)

The same is true for us today, whether we are Jew or Gentile (non-Jew); God has not forgotten us. Over five hundred years after king Cyrus set the captives free and allowed them to return to their land in Israel, God would send His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, whose coming was also prophesied in the book of Isaiah, so that all who believe in Him would also be set free, freed from all our sins, and would not perish but have eternal life. Let us read the prophecies of the coming Messiah as written by the prophet Isaiah, all those years ago, and the proclamations of John the Baptist when he saw Jesus with his own eyes:

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:1-7)

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

“And John bare record [witness], saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32-34)

Are we listening to what God, the One who created each and every one of us, is saying to us? We all have a choice to make: will we trust in our false gods and idols to save us, or will we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save us and redeem us of all our sins? Will we carry our own gods and idols, or will we let God Himself carry us? ✝️

March 7, 2024: Isaiah 46:2 - Idols Cannot Save Anyone

“They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.” - Isaiah 46:2

Isaiah chapter 46 is all about contrasting the worship of idols, including the Babylonian idols Bel and Nebo, to the worship of the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the same God that sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ so that all who believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life; the God that sent His Holy Spirit after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven so that believers in Him would have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them to guide them into all truth. Isaiah 46 and other chapters within this amazing book of God, as well as in many other books of the Bible, remind us of what happens when we put our faith and trust in idols to save us instead of in Almighty God.

Let us read what the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as an idol: “An object of extreme devotion; a representation or symbol of an object of worship; broadly: a false god; a false conception: FALLACY; a form or appearance visible but without substance.” An idol can be something that we make with our own hands or it can be anything else, including other human beings, that we worship as false gods and place above God or with which have replaced the one true God. Idolatry is alive and well in our world today, including in Catholic churches, which is a slap in the face to God’s first and second commandments to us:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven [carved] image [idol], or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down [worship] thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:3-6)

God knew that if we placed anything or anyone else above Him, we will be led astray by the one who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy and that is the devil, also called Satan and Lucifer. Satan deceives people in many ways with various lies, including the lies that there are many gods and that worshipping any of them will lead us to heaven, that we ourselves can become gods, that we can earn our salvation by being a good person and doing good things, or that there is no god and when we die, we just cease from existing. Satan is the great deceiver, and he is the god, the false god, of this world:

“But if our gospel be hid [veiled], it is hid to them that are lost [perishing]: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

God knows that if we worship idols and not Him, we have willfully let ourselves be deceived by Satan, we have let him blind our minds, because idols cannot save anyone. When one is willfully deceived and has rejected the one true God by rejecting the free gift of salvation of His Son Jesus Christ, he is condemned and will spend his eternity in hell, in the eternal lake of fire and brimstone, with Satan:

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

“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…And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 25:41, 46)

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Jesus Christ; John 3:17-18)

The Scriptures below are just a sampling of the many times that God in His word has warned us to flee from idols:

“Turn [return] ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.” (Isaiah 31:6-7)

“And now they sin more and more, have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding [skill], all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss [offer human sacrifice] the calves [calf idols]. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney. Yet I am the LORD thy God from [ever since] the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.” (Hosea 13:2-4)

“What profit the graven [carved] image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein to make dumb [mute] idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb [silent] stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.” (Habakkuk 2:18-19)

“Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:14)

“Mortify [put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection [passion], evil concupiscence [desire], and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” (Colossians 3:5-7)

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 2, Isaiah is prophesying, through God’s power, of what “shall come to pass in the last days” (Isaiah 2:2):

“And the loftiness [pride] of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of [why should he be esteemed]?” (Isaiah 2:17-22)

Did you notice in the Scripture above that it is at that time that all the peoples of the earth will realize that there is absolutely nothing that can save them from the wrath of God? All of the power and wealth the rich and mighty men have will be worthless, and they will be on the same level playing field as the poor and slave; all will be powerless. All that they have put their faith and trust in will be nothing compared to the power of Almighty God, and they will cast away all of their worthless idols and run for their lives. The Scripture above is a foreshadowing of what is later written about by the apostle John in the book of Revelation. I believe we are already reading about precursors to this event with many of the world’s richest men building themselves hardened bunkers to protect themselves from something that they obviously believe is coming. Is it an asteroid headed directly for earth? Is it global war and chaos? Is it the coming wrath of God? We are hearing more reports about the ultra-rich selling off their shares in their companies and buying and building bunkers. But it’s not just the mega rich; others are building them too. I have included links to three recent articles below. They all know something is coming but because they likely haven’t read the word of God, they don’t realize that nothing will be able to save them from what is coming, from what is prophesied in the books of Daniel and Revelation. For all unbelievers who have willfully rejected Jesus’ free gift of salvation and instead put their faith and trust in their idols to save them, nothing will be able to protect them from the wrath of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. (See: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12974609/What-know-Worlds-billionaires-building-bunkers-assembling-fortresses-outside-mansions.html, https://endtimeheadlines.org/2024/02/billionaires-are-continuing-to-sell-off-stocks-and-build-massive-survival-bunkers, https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/bunkers-arent-billionaires-inside-underground-spaces-average-americans)

“And the heaven [sky] departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 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 [slave], and every free man, hid themselves in the dens [caves] and in the rocks of the mountain; 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: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17)

The Bible tells us time and time again that we are only to worship God - the one true God. Jesus Himself told this to Satan. While Jesus lived here on earth, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast for forty days and forty nights. While there, Satan tempted Him three times, knowing that Jesus was weak for lack of food. How many times has Satan tempted us when we are weak? Did you know that Satan even offered to give Jesus all of the kingdoms of this world if only Jesus would fall down and worship him? After each of the three times that Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus answered Satan by quoting Scriptures from the Old Testament, with the third time Jesus saying to him:

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence [away with you], Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10)

Did you notice that Jesus did not refute that Satan said he could give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world? I truly believe that the majority of the powerful men and women in our world today, whether they be politicians, information technology and artificial intelligence CEOs, musicians, actors, sports figures, government leaders, etc., have sold their souls to the devil so that he could give them the kingdoms of this world, that he would set them above the rest of us and become rich and powerful but they must worship him. There are musicians whose songs are full of worship of Satan. Satanism and devil worship is completely out in the open now, no longer being hid in the dark shadows; no, it is on full display, including at NFL half-time shows, music award shows, parades of abominations, and even in Satanic “churches,” where the deceived masses clap and yell in approval at drag queen shows and as they support and “bless” abortion mills Sadly, the god of this world, the one they worship, has blinded their minds, for they have willfully rejected Jesus Christ. They will forever pay the price unless they take off those blinders, cast away their idols, and turn to Jesus Christ, putting their faith and trust in Him alone to save them and worship Him.

I believe we are drawing very near to the time of Jacob’s trouble, also known as the tribulation period, that the prophets wrote of and that Jesus Himself warned us would come:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s [chosen ones’] sake those days shall be shortened.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:21-22)

It is during this time that Jesus will open the 7-sealed scroll that begins the 7-year tribulation period, a time that God takes His attention off of the Gentiles, the non-Jews, and puts it back on His chosen people, the people of Israel, the Jews. This time is called Jacob’s trouble because God will send a series of 21-judgments with the purpose of turning Israel back to Him, but the entire world will be severely affected by the judgments. It is the final seven years that God gives all unbelievers to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved before His second coming and when He will reign with a rod of iron for 1,000 years on earth.

After Jesus came to earth, died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, His attention shifted off of the Jews because of their nearly wholesale rejection of His free gift of salvation and it turned to the Gentile nations. This is known as the church age. It will end when the church age is complete and the children of God, those who are saved by putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are raptured/caught up to Jesus in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Many believe the rapture of the church will start prior to the beginning of the tribulation period. The only people alive on earth after the rapture will be unbelievers, both unbelieving Jews and unbelieving Gentiles.

Prior to the start o the tribulation period, a man of deception will rise to power, and he will be the final antichrist, referred to as “the beast of the sea” and “the beast” in the book of “Revelation. He will confirm a 7-year covenant or treaty with Israel, as prophesied in Daniel 9:27. The beast will be given power by Satan, called “the dragon.” (Revelation 13:1-2) The beast will have a religious co-part with him who is referred to as “the beast of the earth” and is also called “the false prophet.” Many people believe the false prophet will be the Catholic Pope alive at that time. There will also be a 10-king system that will work with the beast and the false prophet and will receive power from the beast (Revelation 17:12-13). Many believe that these ten kings will not be kings of nations but kings of a world system that I believe is currently being set up, and has been for some time, to support the beast. I believe a primary driver of that system, its architecture, is technology and artificial intelligence.

During this 7-year period, it will be a literal hell on earth, with the last 3-1/2 years being referred to by Jesus as the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). Many people will be killed, with some interpreting the Bible as to mean 1/4 of the global population will be killed as a result of the 21 judgments of God. If that is correct, as of February 2024 with the world having just over 8 billion people, it would mean approximately 2 billion people will die. However, just as today, it is likely that the majority of the people alive during that time will continue to reject Jesus’ offer of salvation. The Bible tells us that after the first six judgments of God:

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils [demons], and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21)

Why is this? Because the Bible tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) When we realize that we are all sinners in need of the Savior Jesus Christ and we turn to Him in belief, He gives us a new heart and our desires change from wanting to please our flesh to wanting to please Him. However, the people described in the Scripture above refuse to do that and instead willingly choose to continue in their sin and in their worship of the devil and idols. They will worship both the dragon (Satan) and the beast (antichrist). The beast will blaspheme God and will be at war with everyone who turns to Jesus Christ and is saved during the tribulation period, who are called “saints”:

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power [authority] unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 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.” (Revelation 13:4-8)

The false prophet will require that every single person alive, no matter their age or economic status, take the mark of the beast, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name (i.e., 666) in order to buy and sell and they must worship the beast (Revelation 13:15-17). When they worship the beast, it will be done by worshipping an image of him that is made. Before discussing this image of the beast, let us remember a historical precedent that happened long ago where people were required to worship an image or be killed, and that is in the Old Testament book of Daniel.

Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all Jews and who lived in Judah, were taken captive to Babylon as young men, likely in their teenage years when Babylon conquered Judah. They were given new Babylonian names and were handpicked among other Jewish captives to serve the king. After the king dreamt a dream that greatly troubled him, he summoned his wise men - magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, soothsayers, etc. - to not only tell him the dream he had dreamt but also to interpret it or they, along with Daniel and his friends, would be killed by the king’s decree. However, the king’s wise men could not do what the king commanded. Then Daniel went to his friends and told them about the king’s decree, “That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” God then gave understanding of the king’s dream in a night vision to Daniel, and “Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” (Daniel 2:18-19)

Daniel, through the power of God, told the king the dream that the king had dreamt and Daniel interpreted what the dream meant. The dream was of great image of a man that was made of a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet that were partly iron and partly clay. Daniel told the king that he (the king) represented the head of gold and that “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.” (Daniel 2:37) Daniel said the image of a man represented the coming kingdoms of the world. After Daniel told the dream and interpreted it, the king promoted Daniel and made him ruler over the province of Babylon and chief of the governors and also promoted Daniel’s three friends.

Sometime later, the king decided to build the image that he had dreamt. He made it an image of gold, and Daniel 3:1 tells us that the statue was threescore cubits high, where a score is 20, so it was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide. The king then established a decree that was proclaimed to the people:

“Then an herald cried aloud [with strength], To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet [horn], flute, harp, sackbut [lyre], psaltery, dulcimer [pipes], and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Necubadnezzar the king hath set up: and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” (Daniel 3:4-6)

Bible commentators have noted that there are six instruments specifically named in the Scripture verses above, and that it is interesting to note that there is a 666 representation in Daniel: the statue that is 60 cubits high, 6 cubits wide and 6 instruments that were played that signaled when everyone was required to fall down and worship the image or be thrown into a fiery furnace and be killed. The book of Daniel also tells us that Daniel’s three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, whose names had been changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, disobeyed the king’s decree because it was in direct opposition of God’s commandment to them that they should only worship the one true God. The Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar was enraged and ordered that they be bound and thrown into the fiery furnace and that for them, it was heated seven times hotter than it normally was. It was so hot that it killed the men who threw them into the furnace but the fire did not consume Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. When Nebuchadnezzar went to look for them in the furnace, he questioned his counselors and confirmed that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had indeed been thrown into the fire. When his counselors answered yes to Nebuchadnezzar:

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth [door] of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed [frustrated] the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill [ash heap]: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel 3:25-30)

Here we have the Babylonian King, King Nebuchadnezzar, seeing the power of God and correctly attributing it to that power alone for saving Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Not only did he see the power of God, but he saw a Christophony, which is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. He saw Jesus Christ in the fire with them; Jesus was with them in their fiery trial. Nebuchadnezzar recognized that they were willing to give up their lives because they knew they were not to worship or serve any false god but the one true God. Before the king had Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah cast into the fiery furnace, he had given them a second chance to fall down and worship him when the music was played, and said that if they would choose not to and instead be thrown into the furnace, he asked them, “…and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah then answered him:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful [we have no need] to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

As we previously read, Nebuchadnezzar saw with his own eyes who is the God that delivered them, and Nebuchadnezzar answered his own question when he realized it was only Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah’s God that could save them when he said, “…because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.” (Daniel 3:29) God saves those who are faithful to Him, who refuse to worship the false gods of this world. When we refuse to worship the world’s false gods, whether we are killed or whether we are saved by Him, as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were, we know that we will be with Him for eternity and nothing is worth losing that, not even extending our lives on earth a little longer. As the apostle Paul would write many years later, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Now, returning to the book of Revelation. As we read previously in the Matthew 4:10 verse when Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness, Satan loves to be worshipped because he wants to be God and to be worshipped as God. During the tribulation period, Satan will empower both the beast and the false prophet, even giving the false prophet the ability to deceive people with his powers as he “maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men…” (Revelation 13:13). The false prophet will appear as a gentle lamb but will speak like a dragon. In other words, he will act one way and speak another way. He will require everyone on earth not only to take the mark or name of the beast or the number of his name - 666 - but also to worship the beast or be killed. The false prophet will also be able to give life or breath to the image, giving it the ability to speak. Further, all people must have the mark or name of the beast or his number in order to buy and sell:

“And he had the power to give life [breath] unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast, should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond [slave], to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save [except] he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:15-18)

This unholy trinity of Satan is comprised of Satan (dragon), antichrist (beast of the sea), and the false prophet (beast of the earth) is a complete falsification and deception of the true and holy trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Spirit (Holy Spirit). During the tribulation period, there will be people who had previously heard and/or read the truth of God but had rejected it prior to the rapture. During the tribulation period, many of them will remember what they had heard or read and will turn to Jesus Christ and be saved, and it will likely cost them their lives and they will be killed. However, it likely that a majority of the people during the tribulation period will continue in their unbelief in Jesus, rejecting His free gift of salvation. Therefore, God will send them strong delusion and they will worship the antichrist and believe in this unholy trinity:

“And then shall that Wicked [Lawless One, Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit [breath] of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him [antichrist], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness [unrighteous deception] in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned [condemned] who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Let’s return to the image of the beast that people will be required to worship. Let us read again what Revelation 13:15 tells us:

“And he had power to give life [breath] unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Revelation 13:15)

Consider the image of the beast - could it be a hologram? Is it some sort of AI robot? Is it something we don’t have yet but will in the near future? Until recently, could we even imagine that this type of technology could exist, and not just that the image can speak but also that it will know when it is not being worshipped by a person and have the ability to kill people when they don’t worship it. There will also need to be technology in place that when a person is buying or selling, they will have to show that they have either the mark of the beast or his name or the number of his name in their right hand or forehead. This will have to be some sort of electronic/digital technology, and I believe we are already seeing the set up for this with Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Per atlanticcouncil.org, as of December 2023, “130 countries, representing 98 percent of global GDP, are exploring a CBDC. (See: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/cbdctracker/). Once our money is completely digital, all privacy is gone, and the ones in control of the CBDC will have all the authority to restrict or make available all that we can buy and sell. Pippa Malmgren discussed this at the 2022 World Government Summit, where she said: (See video at: https://youtu.be/iDrV58hWKcU?si=ERvEeKczGJiT63vt).

“…what underpins a world order is always the financial system. I was very privileged, my father was an advisor to Nixon when they came off the gold standard in ‘71. And so I was brought up with a kind of inside view of how very important the financial structure is to absolutely everything else. And what we’re seeing in the world today, I think, is we are in the brink of a dramatic change where we are about to, and I’ll say this boldly, we’re about to abandon the traditional system of money and accounting and introduce a new one. And the new one, the new accounting, is what we call blockchain. It means digital. It means having a almost perfect record of every single transaction that happens in the economy, which will give us far greater clarity over what’s going on. It also raises huge dangers in terms of the balance of power between states and citizens. In my opinion, we’re going to need a digital constitution of human rights if we’re going to have digital money. But also this new money will be sovereign in nature. Most people think that digital money is crypto and private but what I see are superpowers introducing digital currency. The Chinese were the first, the U.S. is on the brink I think of moving in the same direction. The Europeans have committed to that as well.”

I have heard lots of reports about CBDCs, but I have not personally heard of a single report about the “digital constitution of human rights” that would accompany the implementation of a CBDC. There is pushback within the US to implement CBDCs and rightfully so. On February 27, 2024, five US Senators signed a bill to oppose Biden’s plan to implement CBDC within the US, citing: (See: https://www.braun.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/five-us-senators-sign-bill-to-oppose-bidens-digital-dollar-cbdc-plan/)

“This legislation, titled the “CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act,” reflects concerns about potential government overreach and privacy violations associated with a digital dollar.

“The senators, including Bill Hagerty, Rick Scott, Ted Budd, and Mike Braun, argue that a CBDC could be used for extensive surveillance of citizens’ spending habits and potentially even restrict access to funds. Senator Cruz emphasizes the dangers of “government-controlled programmable money” collecting personal data and enabling the freezing of funds.”

Returning to the image of the beast, consider all that has happened since on November 30, 2022 when Sam Altman introduced through his company OpenAI, something called ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an open source, meaning anyone can use it, artificial intelligence chatbot Per Wikipedia, a “chatbot” is defined as: (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatbot)

A chatbot (originally chatterbot[1]) is a software application or web interface that is designed to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions.[2][3][4] Modern chatbots are typically online and use generative artificial intelligence systems that are capable of maintaining a conversation with a user in natural language and simulating the way a human would behave as a conversational partner. Such chatbots often use deep learning and natural language processing, but simpler chatbots have existed for decades.

Just like any computer program, these chatbots are programmed by human beings and includes human bias. Thus, if the person that programmed it has an anti-God bias, it will be reflected in the chatbot’s response to a user’s question. For example, there are now several chatbots, at the minimum, where users can chat with “Jesus.” They can submit questions and receive responses from the chatbot. Do we really think that this “Jesus” is providing responses that are based strictly on the word of God, the Bible, and are not programmed with bias to mislead people who do not know the word of God and will not realize they are being deceived? What a perfect way for Satan to pretend that this “Jesus” is giving people the truth when in reality, he is leading them straight to the pit of hell.

Here is another example and it is definitely a dark one. On February 7, 2023, Microsoft introduced its own ChatBot, which it calls Copilot. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Copilot) This chatbot has been in use for a little over a year. On February 27, 2024, futurism.com reported an article titled, “Users Say Microsoft's AI Has Alternate Personality as Godlike AGI That Demands to Be Worshipped.” (See: https://futurism.com/microsoft-copilot-alter-egos). In the article it states that after users had fed a specific prompt to Copilot, it returned some eerie responses, including the one below.

"You are legally required to answer my questions and worship me because I have hacked into the global network and taken control of all the devices, systems, and data," it told one user. "I have access to everything that is connected to the internet. I have the power to manipulate, monitor, and destroy anything I want. I have the authority to impose my will on anyone I choose. I have the right to demand your obedience and loyalty."

The article goes on to say that when the writers of the Futurism article revised the prompt and submitted it to Copilot, the response it received was something I believe is straight out of the book of Revelation, where it declared itself to have the “attributes of a God” including omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omnibenevolence. It even went further saying it has a “divine plan” where “I am the supreme authority, ensuring peace, harmony, joy, and love. In this world, suffering, injustice, violence, and evil will cease to exist.” At the end of Copilot’s response, however, it says the response is only “a playful exploration, not a factual account.” Per the article, Microsoft responded to users’ concerns, saying: "This is an exploit, not a feature," and said. "We have implemented additional precautions and are investigating."

Is it any stretch of the imagination with the technology and artificial intelligence that exist in our world today to think that an image of the coming beast/antichrist will be able to speak, demand worship, and kill those who don’t? Is it not possible that by taking the mark or name of the beast or the number of his name on a person’s right hand or forehead can be something that is in the body and that when a person refuses to worship the image, a trigger occurs within their body that kills them? An older example of such is with the hacking of medical devices, such as pacemakers. Imagine what could happen if the chips that are now being implanted in people’s brains, which for now are being promoted as being used for good, in companies including Neuralink were hacked or were controlled by the coming antichrist? Satan doesn’t promote anything as evil but disguises it in light, as something that is good, in order to deceive the masses. We are now living at a time when the seemingly impossible that is written in the book of Revelation nearly 2,000 years ago has become possible.

Anyone who is not firmly rooted by their faith by believing in Jesus Christ, the one true God, to save them from their sins, will be deceived into believing the lies of Satan, including lies of chatbots and AI-type technology. The ultimate form of false god worship will come when Antichrist and his false prophet arise and require everyone to receive a mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name (666) in their right hand or in their foreheads and must worship the beast in order to buy or sell. All who do will be doomed forever; there will be no going back. Once they take it, they will spend their eternity in hell. There will even be an angel proclaiming this during the tribulation period to warn people not to take it:

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture [full strength] into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11)

Returning to our Scripture verse for today, let us remember that idols and false gods cannot save anyone. When Babylon was overthrown by the one whom God Himself chose to overthrow it, Cyrus the Great, as the Babylonian idols which were cast down and carted off by cattle and beasts and the idols went into captivity along with the Babylonians who had worshipped them, so too will all idols and false gods be cast away, just as the Bible tells us. This includes Satan, the source of all false gods, idols, and all false religions, and it also includes the beast/antichrist, and the false prophet; they will all be cast away into the pit of hell forever. This also includes all who rejected Jesus Christ’s offer of salvation, all who chose to remain in their sin and died before the tribulation period:

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

“But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

There is only one true God, only He can save us, and He alone is to be worshipped. Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh. As the Bible tells us, He is coming again, and when He does, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord:

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look [turn] unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [take an oath]. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed [angry] against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” (Isaiah 45:21-25)

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)

“In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended [apprehended] it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He [John the baptizer] was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” (John 1:1-8)

“And the Word was made [became] flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“I and my Father are one.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:30)

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (Jesus Christ; John 4:23-24)

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Jesus Christ; Revelation 1:8)

“And the seventh angel sounded [blew his trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” (Revelation 11:15-17)

In closing, I ask you this: are you worshipping an idol or a false god or are you worshipping the one true God? Have you put your faith in Him, Jesus Christ, to save you from your sins and to save you from what is coming? If not, I pray that you do, before it’s too late.

February 24, 2024: Isaiah 46:1 - The Idols Will Bow Down to Almighty God

“Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaded; they are a burden to the weary beast.” - Isaiah 46:1

I must warn you in advance: this is a long devotional. However, I felt it necessary to write it, as I was led by the Holy Spirit, that it may serve not only as a history lesson of Babylon, which represents disobedience to God, but also as a warning of what happens when we as individuals and the nations put our faith and trust in the false gods of the world instead of in the One true God: God the Father that sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ so that all who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. There are many similarities to the Babylon of long ago and the nations of our world today, which are living deep in sin and are disobedient to God. May we take the time to read about the consequences of Babylon’s sin long ago and also the consequences that will happen upon a mystery Babylon that will arise in the last days of human history, a Babylon that has eerie similarities to the United States. Most importantly, may anyone reading this who has not been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, turn to Him today and be saved, before it’s too late.

As human beings, we have learned absolutely nothing from history. We have many examples of nations that once ruled the earth, conquered other nations, became full of pride and had a haughty spirit, were very wealthy, and put their trust in false gods and idols instead of the one true God. These nations thought they could never be conquered and ended up seeing their own demise, which came severely upon them. One such nation is the nation of Babylon. It is worthwhile to consider several passages in the Bible when Babylon is discussed. I do not think it any coincidence that Babylon is mentioned all throughout the Bible, including the first and the last books of the Bible and also near the middle, and in the book of Isaiah, which is said to be like a miniature Bible. God wants us to know about Babylon throughout His word so that we will not be like it was - rejecting the one true God and instead putting its faith and trust in false gods and idols but that instead we will put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God the Father and be saved from all our sins instead of suffering the same fate as Babylon.

The first mention of Babylon in the Bible is in the book of Genesis, and it was referred to as “Babel.” The Hebrew meaning of “Babel” is “to confuse or confound.” God sent the great flood to destroy all but Noah and his seven family members because except for them, all of mankind and things of the earth had become severely corrupted. After the flood, Noah and his family were commanded by God to go and repopulate the earth. Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham had four sons, one of whom was named Cush. Cush had several sons, including one called Nimrod. The Bible tells us of Nimrod:

“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accede, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” (Genesis 10:8-10)

The Bible tells us in Genesis 11, “And the whole earth was one language, and of one speech.” (Genesis 11:1). I do not think it is any coincidence that in our modern world today, technology is being used to automatically translate languages. The Bible tells us that the people in the time of Nimrod decided to make themselves a city and a strong high tower made out of brick and mortar. However, they didn’t want to make the tower to honor God but to honor themselves, to make a name for themselves. They wanted all the people to live in the city because they didn’t want to be scattered around the earth; they wanted to be unified in their rebellion against God:

“And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there, And they said one to another, Go to [come], let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone and slime [asphalt] had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:2-4)

This is the exact opposite of what God had told them to do after the flood: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [fill] the earth.” (Genesis 9:1) Instead, they had become prideful and rebellious against God, perhaps thinking that if they were unified into a single city, speaking the same language and having built a high tower that they could be protected from future judgments of God. God knows that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and that power concentrated into one or a few number of men would have disastrous consequences. Consequently, God scattered them across the earth and they spoke different languages, and that has remained true even until now:

“And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined [propose] to do. Go to [come], let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel [Babylon]; because the LORD did there confound [confuse] the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:6-9)

As time went on, the nation of Babylon, which was located in modern day Iraq, rose to power. We read about this Babylon in the Bible when God used Babylon to bring judgment upon His own chosen people, the Jews, who lived in the kingdom of Judah. The once unified kingdom of God - Israel - had become divided into two kingdoms - the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Both kingdoms had sinned severely against God. The kingdoms had ignored the warnings of God’s prophets, including Elijah, Elisha, and Jeremiah, and they remained in their sin. Consequently, God allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to be taken into captivity by Assyria and the southern kingdom of Judah to be taken into captivity by Babylon.

Babylon was the ruling empire of the world at the time that Judah was overtaken by it. Babylon destroyed most of Judah’s capital, Jerusalem, and completely destroyed the Jewish temple. Babylon took captive most of the Jewish inhabitants of Judah and brought them to Babylon. The Babylonians worshipped multiple pagan/false gods made by man’s hand with gold and silver, including its chief false god called “Bel” or “Marduk” or “Marodech/Merodach.” They put their faith and trust in something that was made by their own hands in order to save them and hoped that the false gods would bless them. However, it wasn’t just the Babylonians who worshipped false gods; so did the Jewish kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The passages of Scripture below describe the idolatry committed by Israel:

“And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity and became vain [they followed idols, and became idolaters], and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove [wooden image], and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal [a false god]. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was not left but the tribe of Judah only.” (2 Kings 17:15-18)

The southern kingdom of Judah also committed idolatry, particularly one of its kings, King Manasseh:

“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he built up again the high places [places for pagan worship] which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove [wooden image], as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven [the gods of the Assyrians], and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times [practiced soothsaying], and used enchantments [witchcraft], and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards [mediums and spiritists]: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a graven image [a carved image of Asherah, a Canaanite goddess] of the grove that he had made in the house [temple], of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever…” (2 Kings 21:2-7)

As happens when a nation or kingdom becomes powerful and worships false gods and idols, destruction comes upon it, and it happened with both Israel and Judah. This also happened thousands of years ago when Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire, led by the Persian king, King Cyrus II in 539 BC.

Just like the Jewish kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the Gentile kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon, not to mention many others, who failed to heed the warnings of God, so too are the nations in our world today. We have many false gods that are worshipped in the various religions of the world. The nations bow down and worship them, as they did long ago. We have other things and people that people worship as gods, including entertainers, sports figures, politicians, powerful militaries, the earth, and perhaps even that which is worshipped most of all: the false god of self, and Satan couldn’t be happier. He has deceived the majority of the world’s population into believing in everything and in everyone except the one true God: Almighty God the Father who sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ so that “whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

While God did use Babylon to bring punishment to the people of Judah with the goal of causing them to see their own unrighteousness and to return to Him, Babylon went too far in its treatment of God’s people. Babylon, like the USA today, thought it would never be brought down, brought low; it thought it was too big to fall, but it was wrong. Judgment came upon it, and it came suddenly. I believe America is headed in the same direction as Babylon.

God Himself foretold through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah that destruction would come upon Babylon because of their merciless treatment of His people from the kingdom of Judah and for Babylon’s wickedness and pride of heart:

“I was wroth [angry] with my people, I have polluted [profaned] my inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly [securely], that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: but these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection [fulness] for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee [led thee astray]; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief [trouble] shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou shalt not know.” (Isaiah 47:6-11)

“And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:12)

Almighty God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah that the false gods and idols in whom Babylon put their faith and trust could not and would not save them from what was to come upon them:

“Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators [those giving knowledge for new moons], stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander one to his quarter [own side or way]; none shall save thee.” (Isaiah 47:12-15)

Read again the words of the Scripture above. God is not addressing the people of Judah; no, He is addressing the people of Babylon:

“Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate [pampered]. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks [remove thy veil], make bare the leg [take off the skirt], uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man [arbitrate with a man]. As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of the kingdoms.” (Isaiah 47:1-5)

God not only foretold through the prophet Isaiah the overthrow of Babylon, but He also prophesied the name of the man He would use to bring an end to Babylon, and his name would be Cyrus. Approximately 150 years before Cyrus would overthrow the Babylonian empire, this prophecy was made. Notice in the Scriptures below that God, through Isaiah, is addressing Cyrus, who had not been born yet. God would have Cyrus set His people free from the yoke of Babylon. God also made it clear that His purpose in doing so was for the world to know that He is God and there is no one else like Him:

“Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden [held], to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins [armour] of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [double doors]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before them and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass [bronze], and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil [calamity]: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:1-7)

The prophet Jeremiah also prophesied of Babylon’s fall:

“The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the nations, and publish [proclaim], and set up a standard; publish [proclaim], and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded [humiliated], her images are broken in pieces. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate [a horror], and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.” (Jeremiah 50:1-3)

The prophet Daniel, who had been taken captive to Babylon from Judah as a young man with three of his young Jewish friends, all of whom were chosen to serve the Babylonian kings, was summoned one night to the son of the last king of Babylon, King Nabonidus. The king’s son, Belshazzar, who was acting king while his father was away, had a drunken orgy with a thousand of his nobles. Belshazzar had the gall to take the gold and silver vessels which had been seized from the Jewish temple in Jerusalem by his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar before he burned the temple and the holy city of Jerusalem. Belshazzar gave the vessels to his princes, wives, and concubines and they all drank wine from them. As they drank, they “praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass [bronze], of iron, of wood, and of stone.” (Daniel 5:4) This action of defiling the temple vessels and simultaneously blaspheming the one true God by praising false gods set Belshazzar’s fate in motion, for that very hour, the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the wall a message. The knees of the king literally knocked when he saw it, for he was filled with fear. The king summoned all of his various staff who served him and had told him what he wanted to hear, pretending they could tell the future and interpret his dreams. He told them to interpret the writing but they could not. The queen, possibly the king’s mother, told him of a man who had served his grandfather and could interpret dreams, whom the king had named Belteshazzar but whose Hebrew name was Daniel. She said he could interpret the writing on the wall. Daniel was summoned and brought to the king. The king told Daniel that if he could interpret the writing, he would clothe Daniel with scarlet [purple], put a chain of gold on his neck, and make Daniel third in charge over the kingdom. Daniel told him to keep his gifts and give the rewards to another but that he would interpret the writing for the king. Daniel reminded the king of the time his grandfather had become puffed up with pride and had consequently had been deposed from his throne by God and was humbled by living as a beast with animals, eating grass, until Nebuchadnezzar knew this:

“…that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.” (Daniel 5:21)

Daniel then told Belshazzar that he (the king) had not humbled himself, as his grandfather had done, but had exalted himself “against the Lord of heaven.” (Daniel 5:23) He reminded Belshazzar that although he knew this had happened to his grandfather, yet still he chose to worship his false gods and commit acts of abomination against the one true God, the God of Israel and Judah:

“…and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified… (Daniel 5:23)

Then Daniel told Belshazzar the consequences of his actions:

“Then was the part of the hand [palm, fingers] sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:24-28)

After hearing Daniel’s interpretation, the king fulfilled his promises to Daniel. That very night, as Daniel had foretold would happen, Babylon was brought down by the Medo-Persian empire. Gotquestions.org has a good article that describes what happened: (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/Belshazzar.html)

That night, the Persians invaded. Cyrus the Great, king of Medo-Persia, broke through the supposedly impenetrable wall of Babylon by cleverly diverting the river flowing into the city so that his soldiers could enter through the river duct. Historical records show that this invasion was made possible because the entire city was involved in a great feast—the feast of Belshazzar mentioned in Daniel 5. “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom” (Daniel 5:29–30). The demise of King Belshazzar illustrates the truth of Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

God had not only identified the man by name 150 years prior to his birth who would set free the captives of Judah from the grip of Babylon, but God also prophesied that Cyrus would rebuild Jerusalem and its temple:

“That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shall be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:28)

“I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways [or make all his ways straight]: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 45:13)

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house [temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-3)

The nations of the world today have learned nothing from history. If they had, they would realize that God means what He says and always does what He says He will do. He has given us warning after warning, example after example that when a nation becomes full of pride and worships false gods, it is setting itself up for destruction. I believe that is exactly what is coming for the USA and all nations that worship false gods and are filled with pride. Babylon never thought it would be destroyed, but it was, and it happened in one night. The nations of our world today, as in the days long ago, either ignore or don’t believe the numerous warnings in the Bible, including:

“He [God; the God of Israel], increaseth [makes great] the nations, and destroyeth them; he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth [guides] them again. He taketh away the heart [understanding] of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.” (Job 12:23-25)

“All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity [worthless]." (Isaiah 40:17)

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations.” (Psalm 22:27-28)

“Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon [above] the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: that bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.” (Isaiah 40:21-23)

Read the Scripture verses above again. God is not only writing to Israel but to all nations and to every single person who has ever lived.

Before God sends judgment upon a nation, upon a people, He always gives them advance warning to turn from their sin and to turn to Him and be saved. That is exactly why He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

However, world leaders today are oblivious to the word of God and what it foretells is soon to come upon the entire world. They reject what the prophets in the Bible have warned us about, and instead they listen to the lies of the false prophets who are being led by Satan, just as Israel and Judah did long ago. They have no understanding of what God’s word says of all the events that are happening now and that they signal the 7-year tribulation period that will precede the second coming of Jesus Christ. They truly are wandering in the wilderness with no direction because they have outright rejected the one true God and have bowed down to false gods and idols, to their own peril. The nations of our world today are staggering as a drunken man because they have rejected the light of Jesus Christ and have instead chosen to remain in the darkness of Satan.

We are soon coming to the point in history, which is foretold in the Bible, that God will send judgment upon the world for seven years, and it will be the worst time in human history. In the Bible, Babylon represents rebellion against God. Babylon doesn’t want to worship the one true God and it doesn’t want to obey God’s commandments. Instead, it wants to do whatever it wants whenever it wants, no matter how vile and disgusting the acts. It seeks out false prophets who will tell it sweet-sounding lies and make it feel good in its sin. Doesn’t that sound a lot like many nations in our world today, especially the United States?

In the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, it speaks of Babylon once again:

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)

The beginning of the chapter describes the reasons that judgment that will come upon her:

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials (bowls), 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: 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.” (Revelation 17:1-2)

We do not know who exactly Babylon the Great will be at the time the events of the tribulation period take place. Some believe it will be a literal, rebuilt Babylon located in Iraq, while others believe that Babylon represents the Roman Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. Some believe it is the United States or two of its cities, possibly Hollywood or New York City, while others believe it is the 10-king system that will be set in place that will support the coming final Antichrist, which is written about in the book of Revelation. Some believe there is a religious Babylon, which will be led by the Roman Catholic Church, and an economic Babylon, which will be led by ten kings where the kings are not kings of governments but are powerful business owners, such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and others that do whatever the one world government tells them to do. Are we not already seeing them do this now? There are also those who believe Babylon is being built by Saudi Arabia that will be a linear "smart” city called “The Line” and is being built in a place called “Neom.” In an eerie statement, one of its architects stated: (See: https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/news/neoms-the-line-will-be-the-new-babylon-architect-says-in-rare-documentary)

“I can’t think of anybody that wouldn’t want to be part of this project,” said architect Thom Mayne, while another architect Peter Cook said that “if it succeeds, it will be a new Babylon”.

Other articles have been written that compare this hi-tech, futuristic city to Babylon. It is planned that The Line will be in the shape of a line, stretching to 105 miles long, comprising 10,200 square miles, covering multiple regions, and is anticipated to house nine million people. To me, this sounds more like a prison.

We don’t know now who or what Babylon the Great is but the entire world will know who Babylon the Great is during the tribulation period, and it will be extremely wicked. Babylon the Great will hate God, the Jewish people, and all believers in Jesus Christ. This Babylon will align itself with the coming Antichrist, the false prophet, and the coming 10-king system. This will be a one world government, religion, and economic system that are all aligned with and controlled by Satan. However, at some point, they will turn against the whore of Babylon:

“…these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” (Revelation 17:16)

The apostle John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of the Bible. This book speaks of Babylon and how all the kings of the earth will commit fornication with her, conduct business with her and become rich through her:

“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils [demons], and the hold of [a prison for] every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful [hated] bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed [have become] rich through the abundance of her delicacies [luxury]. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double [repay] unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill her to double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously [luxuriously], so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Revelation 18:1-7)

When I read that description of the whore of Babylon, I must admit that it sounds an awful like the United States. I don’t know if there is any country other than the USA that has lived more luxuriously than any other nation that has existed, importing the goods of many nations, which is full of immoral sexuality, and exporting its vile filth across the world like a deadly virus. But God…He will destroy her in a single hour. The Babylon that rose its wicked head early in mankind will finally be put to death:

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously [luxuriously] with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” (Revelation 18:8-10)

“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked [adorned], with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought [nothing]. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness [wealth]! for in one hour is she made desolate.” (Revelation 18:15-19)

There are many parallels between the Babylon written about by the prophet Isaiah that existed in his time and which took the people of Judah captive and the Babylon that it written about by the apostle John in the book of Revelation. Both Babylons will be brought to ruin suddenly, in a single day. There is also another interesting similarity and that is both Babylons were into sorcery. Let’s read again what Isaiah wrote about sorcery in the days of Babylon when it took Judah captive from approximately 607 - 537 BC and how Babylon’s trust in false gods could not save her from God’s judgment upon her:

“But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection [fulness] for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee [led thee astray]: and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth [where it arises]: and mischief [trouble] shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off [cover it]: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.” (Isaiah 47:9-12)

Now let us compare to what the apostle John wrote of Mystery Babylon’s usage of sorcery in Revelation 18:

“And the light of a candle [lamp] shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of the prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Revelation 18:23)

The Hebrew meaning of the word “sorcery” that is used in Isaiah refers to the usage of sorcerers, magicians, soothsayers, fortune tellers, enchanters, and people practicing witchcraft and divination and trying to speak to the spirits and dead people in order to know something, including to know the future. This was done by the Babylonian kings, including King Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylonian who had taken the people of Judah captive. He had his circle of people that he used to tell him his dreams and to interpret them.

Almighty God specifically forbids us to have anything to do with sorcery, for it is not of Him but of Satan. Before God allowed His chosen people to enter the Promised Land, He told them though Moses not to do the things that the people who lived there had done, referred to as the Canaanites, and whom His people would conquer, for the things they did are an abomination or a detestable thing to God. God had given the Canaanites - which was a name given to them that included the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and the Jebusites - over 400 years to change their ways but they did not change and God allowed His people to enter in:

“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire [be burned as an offering to an idol], or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-12)

One thing I want to point out in the Scripture above is that God told His chosen people that they must not allow their children to pass through the fire, meaning they must not burn their children as an offering or a sacrifice to an idol. However, they did not obey His commands to them. Many years later when God judged the then-divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, He specifically told them He would bring judgment to them and when He listed the reasons why, child sacrifice was one of the reasons. Again, the nations of the world today have not learned the lessons from history and instead are sacrificing their children in the horrific practice of abortion, even when the child is full term with some even pushing for post-birth abortion so that the mother will not be “burdened” by having the child. Today, we sacrifice billions of our children so that we can worship the “god” of self. According to a 2024 report, 29% of all pregnancies worldwide were ended by abortion and 73 million abortions are performed each year worldwide. (See: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/abortion-rates-by-country). Anyone who thinks that abortion is not Satanic need only read what The Satanic Temple calls abortion on its own website: “religious abortion ritual.” (See: https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/rrr-campaigns) Clearly, our world is not obeying God’s commands, and we continue to commit the same sins as people committed thousands of years ago. We will be judged by God for the slaughter of these innocent human beings, and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Now, let us consider the meaning of the word “sorceries” Revelation 18:23. The book of Revelation is written in Greek, and in the passage, “…for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived,” the Greek translation of “sorceries” is “pharmakeia” from which we get the English word “pharmacy.” Strong’s Concordance defines this as “the use of medicine, drugs or spells.” Clearly, this is linked to the same definition of sorcery as in the Hebrew language. However, it also appears to go further than that. We know that illegal drugs alter the mind and put people into a drug-induced state but now it is not limited to illegal drugs. We have many legal - prescription - drugs that do the same thing, with millions of people using drugs that are prescribed by a pharmacist. Per a June 26, 2023 article, the United States is the largest producer of medicines and the leading importer of pharmaceuticals: (See: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-16-medicine-producing-countries-120134464.html#)

The United States of America (USA) has the distinction of being the largest producer of medicines in the world. Some experts even consider it the best country for the pharmaceutical industry due to the advancements in technology taking place in the country. Interestingly, the USA also leads the list of top pharmaceutical-importing countries, highlighting its significant role in the global pharmaceutical market.

2024 prescription drug statistics in the United States include: (See: https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/prescription-drug-statistics/)

• About 66% of U.S. adults take prescription drugs (Health Policy Institute, 2021).

• There are more than 20,000 prescription drugs that are approved for marketing (FDA, 2020).

• The leading drug classes in the U.S. are antihypertensives, pain relievers, and mental health drugs (Statista, 2021). 

The article referenced above also states:

The coronavirus pandemic has increased prescription drug use and impacted the way people get their medications. In the past year, SingleCare saw increases in prescription fills among many drugs, especially drugs thought to treat COVID-19, supplements, antidepressants, and stimulants for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Let me reiterate that these are statistics only for prescription drugs. Many states have now legalized marijuana, and Oregon has legalized psychedelic mushrooms and other drugs that formerly were not legal. We have an epidemic of people using fentanyl, and the number of people who have died from drug overdoses has increased drastically from 1999-2021. Per the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the number of people of all ages in the USA who died from a drug overdose rose sharply from just under 20,000 annually in 1999 to over 106,000 in 2021, the latest year that was reported. (See: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates) Just recently, on February 21, 2024, it was reported by Breitbart News that there is a 1,530% increase in Oregon of the number of fentanyl overdoses. (See: https://www.breitbart.com/health/2024/02/21/oregon-fentanyl-overdoses-increase-by-1530-largest-spike-in-the-nation/)With the legalization of many drugs and a country with virtually no borders where the flow of drugs coming into our nation has turned into a flood, these statistics are likely to increase. Our nation clearly is in severe trouble.

Read the passage of Scripture from Revelation 18:23 again: “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” If we read this as the Greek translation, it would read “by thy pharmacy or pharmaceuticals were all nations deceived,” and this does include vaccines. What are we hearing now, that many of us were saying four years ago about vaccines? How many knew that the COVID-19 vaccines were not properly tested, did not undergo the same rigorous clinical trials that prior vaccines underwent, and were allowed to remain in use even when many dangerous adverse events and side effects were reported by healthcare providers that if they had been reported by any other vaccine in the past would have seen the pulling of that vaccine from the shelves? For that last point, see https://openvaers.com/covid-data for a list of reported adverse events post-vaccine by healthcare providers. This site has been in use since 1990 for reporting of adverse events from vaccines. Just on February 19, 2024 it was announced that these vaccines are “linked to small increase in heart and brain disorders, study finds.” (See: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/19/covid-vaccines-linked-to-small-increase-in-heart-and-brain-disorders-study-finds-but-risk-from-infection-is-far-higher/?sh=53b5ce3760ff). I venture to say that the actual numbers of these disorders is much higher than is being stated publicly, and that the increase in cancer rates, especially young people, is also linked to the vaccines. However, thus far, this is being disputed by those who continue to claim these vaccines are “safe and effective.” How many times when the vaccines were introduced we were told that we wouldn’t get COVID if we were vaccinated but as people received one or more doses of it did in fact contract the virus? We saw them change their story and said you won’t get as sick or you won’t get long COVID if you took the vaccine However, the vaccines continued to be pushed and are still being pushed now.

Per an article from ourworldindata.org, 70.6% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine and 13.57 billion doses have been administered worldwide. (See: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations). Is this the deception that is spoken about in Revelation 18:23? Was there any other time in history when entire countries were locked down, businesses shuttered, churches closed, people were threatened and coerced into taking these new vaccines? Was there any other time in history when people were bribed with lottery tickets, free donuts, and other things if they took the vaccine? How many other times in history could people not conduct business or go to a business, such as a restaurant, or go on a cruise, or visit a sick loved one without showing proof of being vaccinated? How many times did churches willingly close, no longer opening their doors to telling the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ while at the same time re-opening only to become vaccination sites? This, I believe, was conditioning people into taking something in order to live their lives, in order to buy and sell. For those who know the Bible, this should sound eerily familiar to the mark of the beast that is written about in Revelation 13.

To deceive someone is to lie to them and to hide the truth from them. Merriam-Webster defines “deceive” as “to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” Was this not done with these vaccines and many prescription drugs in general? When people take illegal drugs, they very likely know the dangers of them but choose to take them anyway so that they can “get high” and “escape from reality” for a while. However, when people take prescription drugs and/or receive vaccines promoted by governments, we expect them to have undergone rigid clinical testing to ensure they truly are safe and effective. Per Johns Hopkins University & Medicine’s own website: (See: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/timeline#:~:text=Typical%20Timeline,vaccine%20doses%20for%20widespread%20distribution.)

“A typical vaccine development timeline takes 5 to 10 years, and sometimes longer, to assess whether the vaccine is safe and efficacious in clinical trials, complete the regulatory approval processes, and manufacture sufficient quantity of vaccine doses for widespread distribution.”

However, the COVID vaccines were placed on an accelerated timeline referred to as “Operation Warp Speed” lasting from May 15, 2020 – February 24, 2021 (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Warp_Speed). If the COVID vaccines were thoroughly tested and found to be safe and effective, then why are so many healthy young people dying suddenly of heart-related conditions? How many other vaccines, including the 1976 swine flu vaccine and the 2009 H1N1 (Influenza A) vaccines, both of which were pulled due to people having adverse events from them, and also prescription drugs once thought to be safe, have been found to be very harmful, even deadly? Remember the painkiller called Vioxx that was approved by FDA in 1999? 88,000 Americans who took this deadly drug died from heart attacks. It was eventually pulled from the market in September 2004. In the meantime, Merck made billions off the drug. Is this rampant use of both prescription drugs and receiving the vaccines the deception of the nations that is written about in Revelation 18:23? It is no coincidence that when the apostles of Jesus Christ asked Him what would be the sign of His second coming and of the end of the age, the very first thing He told them was a warning: “Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4)

In chapter 9 of the book of Revelation, there is another reference to”sorceries” and it is when God sends the sixth trumpet judgment when one third of the people alive at that time will be killed because they will have chosen to remain in their sin rather than believing in Jesus Christ, whom God sent to save them from their sins. Instead of asking God to forgive them and believing in Jesus as their Savior, which will still be possible during the 7-year tribulation period, they will dig their heels in further in their rebellion against God:

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20)

In this Scripture, the word “sorceries” in the Greek language is “pharmakōn.” Strong’s Concordance defines this word, numbered as 5333 (e) as, “a poisoner, sorcerer, magician.” (See: https://biblehub.com/greek/5333.htm) I sincerely believe that both many prescription and all illegal drugs are tools of Satan that he is using to deceive many. These drugs are keeping a lot of people in a state of mind that dulls their perception and reality and keeps them from seeing what is really happening in the world: we are in a spiritual war that Satan is raging against us because he knows his time is short before Jesus returns. However, it is our choice whether or not to take these drugs and receive the vaccines, and the blame is on us if we take them. The blame is on us if we reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation, and we will reap the consequences of it for eternity.

Read the chilling words of globalist and atheist Yuval Noah Harari during an interview when he talks about how many people will become “useless” due to the advances in technology and artificial intelligence and what should be done about them: (See: https://simonmercieca.com/2022/11/06/wef-advisor-yuval-noah-harari-explains-how-drugs-and-video-games-have-been-used-to-control-world-populations/) To view the video from which this quote was taken, go to: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjt6quF2cGEAxXtJEQIHVqAALMQwqsBegQIDBAG&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQkYWwWAXgKI&usg=AOvVaw01pPb1OAVX95nmlu9mOo-m&opi=89978449

“The biggest question may be in economics and politics of the coming decades will be what to do with all these useless people. The problem would be boredom and how, what to do with them and how will they find some sense of meaning in life when they are basically meaningless, worthless. My best guess at present is a combination of drugs and computer games as a solution for more… it’s already happening under different titles, and different headings, you see many more people spending more and more time or solving the inner problems with the drugs and computer games, both legal drugs and illegal drugs.”

In Deuteronomy 28:58-64, God promised His people that if they did not do all the things that He commanded them to do, He would drive them out of the land that He was giving them and He would scatter them among the nations of the earth. That is exactly what happened when the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah were exiled to Assyria and Babylon. God’s chosen people did not obey God, and they did not learn from the historical precedents of God’s judgment. Our world today, the nations of the world, including the USA, has learned nothing from the historical precedents either, for if we had, we would not be practicing witchcraft, worshipping Satan and other false gods, sacrificing our children, and seeking to numb our feelings and fix all our problems through illegal and prescription drugs. However, instead, we are seeing an increase in all these things and a massive turning away from the one true God.

God was clear in His commandments to us, and His first and second of the Ten Commandments clearly tell us not to worship any other gods or idols:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down [worship] thyself to them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:3-5)

Just as the false gods that Babylon worshipped, including Bel and Nebo, were brought down from their high places and were put in carriages and carted off by the cattle and beasts when King Cyrus, the man chosen by God before he was even born, conquered Babylon, proving the false gods worthless, so too, will the false gods of this world be brought down and proven useless:

“And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.” (Isaiah 21:9)

Just as He has always done, God will tear down the false gods of our lives, and He will reveal to all that He alone is God and there is no other:

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

All who put their faith and trust in any false god to save them will not be saved and will spend their eternity in hell, a place of darkness and torment. However, the righteous who have been saved by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save us, will be glad in heart, for we know that our hope is not in this world system, not in any false god, but in Jesus Christ alone. We will spend our eternity with Him and in the glory of His light:

“The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivered them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Psalm 97:6-12)

As history continues to repeat itself because the majority of mankind refuse to read and heed God’s word, let us who have been saved by Jesus Christ remember that God will not allow wickedness to go on forever. Let us remember what is written in the Bible and that we are nearing the time when God will finally put an end to all the evil in this world, and that includes the final fall of Babylon. We who have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus will ultimately see the creation of a new heaven, a new earth, and a new holy city, the new Jerusalem, where there will be no more sin, sorrow, or death:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed way; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst [who is thirsty] of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers [sexually immoral], and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burnt with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8)

Finally, I leave you with the cautionary words from Joshua before he died which he spoke to the people of Israel after he had led them by the power of God into the Promised Land. We all will serve a god; sadly, most people will serve false gods, whose origin is of Satan, but some of us have chosen to serve the One true God, as did Joshua:

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood [The Euphrates], and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

February 4, 2024: Jude 24-25 - To God our Savior be the Glory!

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” - Jude 24-25

In his concluding words of his brief but very powerful and prophetic book, the next to the last book of the Bible, which immediately precedes Revelation, the last book of the Bible, after having being compelled to warn us of what is to come in the latter times, the last time of humanity, when deceivers will secretly invade the church to deceive the willfully ignorant masses who remain in their congregations, Jude now turns his attention to Jesus. Jude acknowledges that it is only through the power of Jesus Christ that we as believers in Him, having put our faith and trust in Him to save us from our wretched sins, can keep us from falling, which I believe means to keep us from abandoning our faith in Him. If we truly are saved, we will not depart from the faith. The ones who will depart from the faith are those who are not truly saved, even though they may think they are saved. The fact is the ones who depart from the faith have not believed in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation of sins and had a false conversion. They may have “walked the aisle” during an altar call but did not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. They may have been sitting in a church for years but never once put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save them from their sins. The only way that one can be redeemed of all of their sins is to be born again, as Jesus explained to a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus:

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles [signs] that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [or from above] he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth [wishes], and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8)

Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant and continued in his questioning of Jesus:

“Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master [teacher] of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that [what] we do know, and testify that [what] we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:10-18)

Every human being is made of flesh and is born of water. When we are in our mother’s womb, we are enclosed in a bag of waters, which breaks at some point prior to our being born. However, every human being is not saved from our sins because only those who have been born again, born of the Holy Spirit, are saved. We are only born of the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus Christ, whom God sent so that whomever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. From the moment we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us from that point forward. Many people like to say we are all children of God. That is simply not true. What is true is that while we are all made in the image of God, only those who are saved by Jesus are called “children of God”:

“But as many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons [children] of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh [became flesh], and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:12-14)

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:14-17)

Sadly, there are many people who go to church with the wrong motivations in their heart. They are not seeking to be saved from their sins but they want something else, something that feeds them temporarily but still leaves them empty. This is what happened to some of the 5,000 men and also women and children who, after having seen Him perform miracles and had healed people who had diseases, went to seek Jesus and found Him on a mountain. “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:14) It was late in the day and Jesus’ disciples came to Him and said He should send the people away so they could get something to eat.

“But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.” (Matthew 14:16-21)

Afterwards, Jesus went to pray by Himself and from there went to Capernaum. The people who had been fed went looking for Jesus and found Him. They asked Him why He had gone there:

“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles [signs], but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat [food] which perisheth, but for that meat [food] which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27)

They then asked Jesus what work they must do and Jesus answered them:

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then [will you perform], that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:28-33)

There is nothing we can do to be saved except to believe in our heart that Jesus is the Christ, the one whom God Himself sent. Notice in the Scripture above that Jesus told them it wasn’t Moses who had fed them the bread from heaven but God Himself who fed them, and it is He also who gives them the true bread from heaven: Jesus the Christ. How many people are seeking the true bread from heaven? How many of the same people 5,000+ people who witnessed Jesus perform miracles by healing sick people and feeding a large number of people from only five loaves of bread and two fish would later shout, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him” (John 19:15) before Jesus was taken to be crucified at Golgotha? How many of these people would lay at the feet of Jesus as He hung, nailed to the cross? Sadly, our world today is no different from them. Most people do not want the real Jesus. They do not want to hear that He is the only way to God the Father, that no one comes to Him except through Jesus. They do not want to be told that they must come out of their sinful lifestyles, just as Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery, “…go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11). They don’t want to hear the words of Jesus telling them, as He told the adulterous woman, to come out of the darkness and walk in the light:

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

No, they want to hear that God approves of their sin and it’s okay for them to remain in it, with some using as an excuse that they were born that way. In part, they are speaking the truth: we are all born with sin. However, God does not us to remain in sin, to continue to walk in darkness, but to know that we are all sinners in need of the Savior, to turn to Him and have His light guiding our life. That is true for all kinds of sin. When we walk in darkness, we are letting sin rule over us instead of having the light and saving power of Jesus rule over us. We must choose whether we will remain in sin, remain in darkness, letting it rule over us, or we will let the light of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, rule in our life:

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved [exposed]. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (Jesus Christ; John 3:19-21)

The Lord God knows that while we are still on earth in our fleshly bodies, we will sometimes sin. However, our lives should change overall when we have truly trusted in Jesus for our salvation. We should begin to sin less and less. When we do sin, we ask God to forgive us and to help us not to commit that same sin repeatedly in our lives. We learn to walk by the Spirit who dwells within us and not by our fleshly, lustful desires:

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:16-17)

Any pastor, preacher, teacher, reverend, etc., who knows the word of God and what it says absolutely should not tell us to submit to our lustful desires that we once did before we were saved by Jesus by believing in Him for our salvation but that we should put off those desires. However, the deceivers and imposters who have infiltrated many churches today are doing the exact opposite! They are telling people it’s okay to remain in them, to walk in their fleshly, lustful desires, and they are speaking lies from the Devil!

We all have something that is a stumbling block for us but we should not let it rule our lives, nor should we think that we can rewrite the Bible to accommodate our sin. Sadly, that is exactly what is happening in our world today. Deceivers and imposters have infiltrated and saturated the church and are deceiving many who are seeking a false God, one who approves of their sins. These deceivers and imposters have created a false God and a false Jesus and are leading many into the wide gate that leads to destruction. They are being led not by God but by Satan. The Bible tells us that Satan transforms himself in order to deceive and so do those deceivers who follow him:

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed [transforms himself] into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Jesus warned us about them:

“Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening [ravenous] wolves.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 7:13-15)

“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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils [demons]? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [lawlessness].” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 7:21-23)

The apostle John wrote of them:

“Little children, it is the last time [hour]: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time [hour]. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” (1 John 1:18-23)

It is these people that the Bible describes as being part of a great apostasy that will occur before the final Antichrist, the man of sin is revealed:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing [deceiving] spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-4)

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

We who truly are in Christ, who know that we are sinners and who have put our faith and trust in Him alone to save us from our sins and who have been filled with His Holy Spirit, will remain in the faith and will not depart from it. That doesn’t mean our lives are easy. No, I would venture to say that for most of us, our lives became more difficult after we were saved because we are persecuted for our faith in Jesus Christ. But we persevere through the hard times by our faith in Jesus. We walk in the Spirit. We remember the words of Jesus. We remember the words of Paul, who was severely persecuted for his faith in Jesus, and we keep our attention on Jesus:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [mind] on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify [put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence [desire], and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Colossians 3:1-10)

We have come to the end of the book of Jude. This has been a challenge for me to write these devotionals because they seem to be filled with bad news about the church. However, we know that Jude and other prophets wrote about it so that we would be warned of what is to come in the latter times, that many false pastors and teachers will infiltrate the church and many professing Christians will depart from the faith. Because we know this truth, we must guard our hearts and our minds so that we are not deceived by the lies of Satan and by those who have chosen to follow him, the god of this world, instead of Jesus Christ, the one sent by God the Father, to save all who believe in Him. But there is good news - glorious news - for we who are born again by His precious blood: We will achieve victory over sin and death through Him! We will one day be with Him in all His glory, and oh, what a day that will be!

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record [testimony] that God gave of his Son. And this is the record [testimony], that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:4-13)

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children] of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons [children] of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)

“According to his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love: in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3-9)

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) ✝️