Lesson #04

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Isaiah

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January 3, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

ISAIAH 2-4
Lesson #04
TELLTALE SIGNS OF JUDGMENT

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 3:10

• CHAPTERS 2-5 ARE ONE COMPLETE PROPHECY. IT IS MAN THAT HAS BROKEN IT APART INTO SMALLER MORE EASILY-HANDLED UNITS. THIS PROPHECY LOOKS FAR INTO THE FUTURE WHEN ISRAEL WILL BE A WHOLE NATION OF 12 TRIBES.

• READ ISA 2:1-5 THE FUTURE KINGDOM
  • WHEN IN THE TOTAL HISTORY OF MANKIND ON EARTH DO VERSES 1-5 OCCUR?
    • VERSE 2 GIVES US THE TIME FRAME
      • SPECIFICALLY. IT SAYS “IN THE LAST DAYS”.
        • THIS MEANS IT IS AROUND THE TIME PERIOD OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS PROPHECY STARTS JUST AS JESUS IS SETTING UP HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
          • THE WORD “MOUNTAIN” IS THE SYMBOL FOR A KINGDOM.
          • THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM BEGINS WITH THE JUDGMENT OF NATIONS, (MAT 25:31-46) AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE ON EARTH.
          • THE TEMPLE WILL BE THE CENTER OF WORSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE MILLENNIUM.
        • THE WORLD TODAY DESPERATELY SEARCHES FOR WORLD PEACE. IN FACT, YOU CAN FIND ISA 2:4 WRITTEN ON THE UNITED NATIONS BUILDING AS THEIR PURPOSE AND GOAL ON EARTH.
          • WHY WILL THE UNITED NATIONS BE UNABLE TO FULFILL THIS VERSE?

• READ ISA 2:6-9 THE PRESENT CHARACTERISTICS OF ISAIAH’S DAY (AND OURS!)
  • THE SOCIETY OF ISAIAH’S DAY IS TRUSTING IN WHAT?
    • NEW FOREIGN IDEAS —
      • MODERN TECHNOLOGY (6)
      • FOREIGN RELIGIONS
    • THE BOOMING ECONOMY —
      • “IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!” WAS ALSO THE CRY OF ISAIAH’S DAY. (7)
    • A POWERFUL MILITARY DEFENSE. (7)
    • PAGAN IDOLATRY — A MULTITUDE OF NEW CULTS AND RELIGIONS. (8)

• READ ISA 2:10-22 JUDGMENT: A DOUBLE FULFILLMENT
  • THE PHRASE “DAY OF THE LORD” WILL OCCUR FREQUENTLY IN PROPHECY. WE MUST UNDERSTAND ITS MEANING TO GRASP THE PATTERN OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY.
    • REMEMBER THAT THE JEWISH DAY WAS RECKONED FROM SUNDOWN TO SUNDOWN. (WE RECKON A DAY FROM MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT.)
      • THE BIBLE FREQUENTLY CALLS SATAN’S ACTIVITIES “THE WORKS OF DARKNESS” (ROM 13:12 EPH 5:11) AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A KINGDOM OF LIGHT” (JOH 8:12)
      • THEREFORE, IN A JEWISH DAY, BECAUSE DARKNESS COMES BEFORE LIGHT, THE PHRASE “DAY” OF THE LORD MEANS THAT DARKNESS OR EVIL, INCLUDING THE JUDGMENT OF IT, WILL COME BEFORE LIGHT AND CHRIST’S KINGDOM.
    • “THE DAY OF THE LORD” THEN, ALWAYS REFERS TO AN OUTPOURING OF EVIL, THEN JUDGMENT, THEN PEACE AND LIGHT.
  • WHEN IN THE TOTAL HISTORY OF MANKIND ON EARTH DO VERSES 10-22 OCCUR? (REV 6:15-16)
    • THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
      • THE FIRST FULFILLMENT OF THE “DAY OF THE LORD” OCCURRED WHEN THE NORTHERN KINGDOM FELL TO ASSYRIA AND THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM FELL TO BABYLON.
    • THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
      • BECAUSE ISAIAH WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS OWN DAY, HE WAS ALSO SPEAKING ABOUT A JUDGMENT THAT WOULD COME UPON HIS OWN SOCIETY AS A RESULT.
      • HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE PHRASES, “IN THE LAST DAYS” AND “DAY OF THE LORD”, WE MUST LOOK FOR A DOUBLE FULFILLMENT.
    • THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
      • IN ISA 2:13 THE ASSYRIANS WERE ALREADY BEGINNING TO FULFILL THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CEDARS OF LEBANON.
        • THEY WERE CUTTING TREES UNSPARINGLY AND USING THEM FOR WAR.
        • IN ISA 2:16 THE SYRIANS CAPTURED THE SEAPORT OF ELATH LATE IN KING AHAZ’S REIGN (2KI 16:6)
        • IN ISAIAH’S SOCIETY, AND IN THE LAST DAYS, WHICH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF SOCIETY WILL GOD JUDGE?
          • (FOR EXAMPLE: VS. 15 “HIGH TOWER” AND “FENCED WALL” REFERS TO THE MILITARY)

• READ ISA 3:1-26
  • WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAMINE AND JUDGMENT?
    • EVERY TIME FAMINE IS MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE (THERE ARE 13 FAMINES MENTIONED) AND ALL OF THEM ARE A JUDGMENT BY GOD ON THE NATION OF ISRAEL.

• THE SIGNS OF COMING JUDGMENT UPON A GREAT NATION CAN BE SEEN IN CHAPTER 3 IN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WEAK GOVERNMENT:
  • WHAT ARE THESE CHARACTERISTICS?
    • ECONOMIC CRISIS (1,6)
    • A VOID IN GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP. (1-2)
      • IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE NO “STATESMEN” TO LEAD THE PEOPLE. LEADERS ARE CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THEIR AFFLUENCE. (6)
      • THIS LACK OF QUALIFIED LEADERSHIP IS A MARK OF A DECADENT AGE AND IS A JUDGMENT OF GOD.
      • DISCUSSION

      : WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A POLITICIAN AND A STATESMAN?

      • CHILDREN RULING (4)
        • PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE TO RULE ARE PUT INTO AUTHORITY. LEADERS ARE UNTRAINED FOR THEIR POSITIONS.
    • CIVIL UNREST (5)
      • THE SEAMS OF NATIONAL UNITY BEGIN TO UNRAVEL.
      • BECAUSE OF THE SCANDALS AND HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY OF AUTHORITY, NO TRULY QUALIFIED PERSON WILL WANT THE JOB OF RULING. (7)
    • GODLESS LEADERS (8)
      • LEADERS DO NOT SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE FOR NATIONAL DECISIONS.
    • SODOMY (9)
      • HOMOSEXUALITY TOLERATED AND PRACTICED AMONG THE LEADERSHIP OF A NATION. NOTICE IT SAYS IN VS. 9 THAT SIN IS OUT IN THE OPEN.
    • WOMEN RULE (12)
      • WHEN MEN FAIL TO LEAD, WOMEN TAKE OVER AND JUVENILE DELIQUENCY HOLDS A NATION CAPTIVE.

• JUDGMENT:
  • WHAT ONE BASIC CRITERIA DOES GOD USE TO JUDGE A NATION?(3:8)

• GOD WILL JUDGE THE JEWISH LEADERS BECAUSE PRIVILEGE DEMANDS RESPONSIBILITY. (14)
  • DISCUSSION

  :

  • WHERE DOES THE UNITED STATES FIT INTO THE FORMULA OF PRIVILEGE DEMANDING RESPONSIBILITY?

• GOD WILL JUDGE THE WIVES OF THE JEWISH LEADERS.(18-24) WHY?
  • BECAUSE OF THEIR EXTRAVAGANCE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR. THEIR MONEY WENT TO PURCHASE FOREIGN GOODS AND FASHION.
    • DISCUSSION:
      • IN WHAT WAY DOES WOMEN’S FASHION RELATE TO GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY? (18-24)
• GOD WILL JUDGE WITH VENERAL DISEASE (17)

• THE PRINCIPLE OF SEWING AND REAPING (10-11)
  • NOTICE THAT THE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE OF GOD WILL REAP GOOD WHILE THE UNRIGHTEOUS WILL REAP EVIL.

• READ ISA 4:1-6
  • VS. 1 BECAUSE OF WAR, THERE WILL BE A LACK OF MEN. WOMEN WILL SEEK A HUSBAND FOR IDENTITY PURPOSES.
    • WHEN IN THE TOTAL HISTORY OF MANKIND ON EARTH DO VERSES 2-6 OCCUR?
      • THIS WILL OCCUR IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
  • THE BRANCH (4)
    • THIS IS THE FIRST REFERENCE TO JESUS CHRIST. WE WILL SEE MANY REFERENCES TO CHRIST IN ISAIAH. IN FACT ISAIAH PRESENTS A UNIQUE PICTURE OF THE COMING MESSIAH.
      • IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE 18 HEBREW WORDS TRANSLATED BY ONE ENGLISH WORD “BRANCH”. ALL 18 HAVE REFERENCES TO JESUS CHRIST.
    • IN THIS VERSE IN ISAIAH, THE WORD “BRANCH” MEANS = SPROUT. IT REFERS TO THE DIVINE NATURE OF CHRIST.
      • IN OTHER WORDS WHEN THE WORLD CONDITION IS SO BAD AS TO SEEM HOPELESS, GOD WILL INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN AND SEND HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
      • THAT IDEA WAS TRUE OF HIS FIRST COMING AND WILL BE TRUE OF HIS SECOND COMING.
    • THE PICTURE HERE IS ALSO A REFERENCE TO THE APPARENT DEAD STUMP OF DAVID’S DYNASTY. (JER 23:5; 33:15 ZEC 3:8; 6:12)
  • VERSE 3-4 REFERS TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
    • GOD WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE SEALED 144,000 JEWISH WITNESSES OF THE TRIBULATION WILL GET THROUGH THE TRIBULATION AND ENTER THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM. (REV 7:4; 14:1-5)
    • READ ZEC 13:1

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 5
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 2-4
  • WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR PERSONAL LIFE CONTRIBUTE TO THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS PRESENT IN ISAIAH’S DAY THAT LED TO THEIR NATIONAL DOWNFALL?

• REPENT OF THESE SINS AND ASK GOD TO HELP YOU LIVE AN EXEMPLARY LIFE SO YOU WILL REAP THE GOOD REWARD.

• PREPARATION FOR ISA 5
  • READ ISA 5:1-7 THE SONG OF THE VINEYARD
    • THE WHOLE NATION OF ISRAEL (NORTHERN KINGDOM AND SOUTHERN KINGDOM) IS REPRESENTED IN PARABLE FORM AS A VINEYARD.
    • JESUS REPEATED THIS PARABLE IN MAT 21:33-46.
      • WHAT DO YOU LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE ABOUT THE PRIVILEGES GOD GAVE TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL?

• READ ISA 5:8-23 THE SIX WOES
  • WHAT ARE THE 6 SINS MENTIONED UNDER EACH WOE?
    • (8-10)

• (11-12)

• (18) THIS IS A HEBREW PROVERB THAT CAN BE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: “WOE TO THOSE WHOSE WICKEDNESS IS HELPED BY WORDS OF LYING, WHO IN THEIR PRIDE AND UNBELIEF THE WRATH OF GOD DEFINE”)

• (20)

• (21)

• (22-23)

• READ ISA 5:25-30
  • WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD AND HIS METHOD OF JUDGMENT?

MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 5:16