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. ✝️