Lesson #50

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RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

ISAIAH 65 AND 66
Lesson #50
GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN FULFILLED

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 66:22

• ISAIAH 65 AND 66 IS GOD’S ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE’S PRAYER IN CHAPTER 64. REMEMBER THEY PRAYED FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH.

• READ ISA 65:1-7 INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT AGE
  • IN ANSWERING ISRAEL’S PRAYER FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, THERE ARE SEVERAL NEW TESTAMENT TRUTHS THAT ARE INTRODUCED HERE.
  • GOD SAYS HE WILL FIRST DEAL WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE OTHER THAN THE JEWS. (1)
    • THIS IS A REFERENCE TO GOD’S DEALING WITH THE GENTILES. IT IS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT THAT WE KNOW GOD IS TALKING ABOUT GENTILES HERE IN ISAIAH.
      • READ ROM 10:1-3, 17-21
        • IN CHAPTER 10 PAUL EXPLAINS THAT CHRIST CAME SO THAT ALL MIGHT BE SAVED, NOT JUST THE JEWS. GOD REACHED OUT TO THE JEWS BUT THEY REJECTED GOD, SO GOD TURNS TO THE GENTILES. PAUL BASIS HIS MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES IN ROM 10:20-21 ON A QUOTE FROM ISA 65:1-2.
          • “SOUGHT BY THOSE WHO ASK NOT FOR ME…
          • “FOUND BY THOSE WHO SOUGHT ME NOT.” (1)
            • THE NEW TESTAMENT TRUTH IS THAT THERE ARE NONE WHO SEEK GOD, IT IS GOD WHO SEEKS US. (ROM 3:11)
            • A NEW TESTAMENT PRINCIPLE:
              • IF YOU DO NOT WANT WHAT GOD HAS TO OFFER, HE WILL GIVE IT TO OTHERS.
              • LUK 14:16-24 LUK 21:10 ACT 28:23-31
  • GOD SAYS HE WILL SET ASIDE THE JEWS, TEMPORARILY, BECAUSE OF THEIR REBELLIOUSNESS, IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE GENTILES.
    • READ ROM 11:1-5
• READ ISA 65:8-10 THE GODLY REMNANT
  • GOD PROMISES THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A GODLY JEWISH REMNANT.
    • NOTICE THE REFERENCE TO THE GRAPES AND WINE. (8) AFTER SEEING THE WINEPRESS OF GOD’S JUDGMENT IN ISA 63, GOD SAYS HERE IN CHAPTER 65 THAT THERE ARE A FEW OF THE GRAPES THAT WILL ESCAPE THE WINEPRESS. IN ISAIAH’S DAY, THIS IS THE REMNANT THAT TRULY BELIEVE IN THE COMING MESSIAH. IN THE FUTURE TRIBULATION PERIOD THESE ARE THE 144,000 JEWS PROTECTED DURING THE PERSECUTION BY THE ANTI-CHRIST.
      • A PLACE OF SAFETY IS PROMISED FOR THEM.
      • NOTICE THE “SEED OUT OF JACOB” IN VERSE 9. WHILE THIS COULD REFER TO CHRIST, IN THE CONTEXT OF ISAIAH 65, IT REFERS TO THE PEOPLE OF CHRIST WHO ARE SAVED OUT OF A REBELLIOUS PEOPLE.
        • “THE VALLEY OF ACHOR”.
          • THIS WAS THE PLACE WHERE ACHAN WAS STONED TO DEATH BECAUSE HE REBELLED AGAINST GOD’S COMMAND. JOS 7.
          • IT IS ALSO THE PLACE WHERE GOD DOES NOT LOSE HOPE THAT HIS PEOPLE WILL ONE DAY RETURN TO HIM. HOS 2:15.
• READ ISA 65:11-16 THE UNGODLY MAJORITY CONTRASTED WITH THE GODLY REMNANT
  • THE CONSEQUENCES OF REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
    • THERE ARE ALWAYS CONSEQUENCES THROUGHOUT LIFE FOR REBELLION AGAINST GOD. HOWEVER, THE SLAUGHTER AND VIOLENCE SPOKEN ABOUT HERE MORE SPECIFICALLY REFERS TO:
  • FIRST FULFILLMENT = THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
  • SECOND FULFILLMENT = THE TRIBULATION ENDING WITH THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
    • THE BLESSINGS OF FAITHFULNESS TOWARD GOD:
      • MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL ABUNDANCE NOT ONLY ON THIS EARTH BUT ETERNALLY, AS WELL.
• READ ISA 65:17-25 THE MILLENNIUM AND THE ETERNAL STATE OF THINGS
  • TO WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DOES ISA 65:18-25 REFER?
    • AS WE HAVE SEEN THROUGH THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, PROPHECY OFTEN MIXES TIME PERIODS TOGETHER. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE SEEN ISAIAH MIX THE FIRST FULFILLMENT OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY WITH THE SECOND FULFILLMENT OF THE TROUBLES OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. WE HAVE SEEN ISAIAH MIX ASPECTS OF THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST WITH ASPECTS OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. HERE IN ISA 65:17-25, ISAIAH MIXES ASPECTS OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WITH ASPECTS OF THE NEW ETERNITY. REVELATION 21 AND 22 DO THE SAME THING.
      • READ REV 21:1-10
        • HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THE MILLENNIUM AND ETERNITY FUTURE MIXED TOGETHER?

• FROM WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, THE MILLENNIUM IS A TIME OF ABUNDANCE, BLESSINGS, PEACE, AND AN EXTENDED LIFE SPAN. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE DEATH TO THOSE WHO REBEL AGAINST CHRIST’S RULERSHIP. WE SEE THIS ASPECT OF THE MILLENNIUM IN ISA 65:20.
  • 100 YEARS OLD WILL BE CONSIDERED THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MILLENNIUM. THIS IS THE AGE WHEN A PERSON PASSES FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD.
  • THIS CANNOT BE AN ASPECT OF THE FUTURE ETERNITY WITH GOD BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO DEATH IN ETERNITY FUTURE. THERE WILL BE NO AGE.
  • IN THE MILLENNIUM, THERE WILL BE THOSE FEW REBELLIOUS PEOPLE BORN IN THE MILLENNIUM WHO WILL SEEK TO HURT AND DESTROY. (ISA 65:25) THIS WILL NOT BE PART OF THE FUTURE ETERNITY WITH GOD.

• WHEN DOES THE CREATION OF A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH OCCUR?
  • THE NEW ETERNAL STATE FOR BELIEVERS OCCURS AFTER THE MILLENNIUM, AFTER THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF SATAN, AFTER THE FINAL JUDGMENT OF ANGELS, AFTER THE FINAL JUDGMENT OF ALL NON-BELIEVERS FROM ALL TIME AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE OF GOD.
• READ ISA 66:1-6
  • ISAIAH 66 IS A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE LAST DAYS IN RELATION TO GOD’S CHARACTER.
    • THE EARTH IS GOD’S FOOTSTOOL.
      • THIS PHRASE IS DESCRIPTIVE OF GOD’S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING CREATION.
        • MAN THINKS HIS LITTLE WORLD IS SO IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, THIS EARTH IS SIMPLY GOD’S FOOTSTOOL. WHEN SOLOMON BUILT THE FIRST TEMPLE, THE PEOPLE THOUGHT THIS WAS SUCH A MAGNIFICENT PLACE, AND IT WAS. HOWEVER, IN COMPARISON TO GOD’S HEAVENLY THRONE, IT WAS NOTHING. DID MAN THINK HE COULD CONTAIN A GOD WHO IS OUTSIDE OF TIME AND SPACE INSIDE OF A LITTLE TEMPLE? SOLOMON UNDERSTOOD THIS. (1KI 8:27)
          • ALL THE THINGS OF THIS EARTH ARE CREATED BY GOD. THEY ARE UNIMPORTANT IN COMPARISON TO GOD. BUT THERE IS ONE PART OF HIS CREATION ON WHICH GOD HAS PLACED A SPECIAL VALUE. IT IS A PERSON WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF BEFORE GOD TO WORSHIP HIM WITHOUT HYPOCRISY. (2)
            • AFTER THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM OF THE MILLENNIUM, THERE WILL BE NO MORE ANIMALS SACRIFICED IN ETERNITY FUTURE (3-5).
• READ ISA 66:7-9 THE WOMAN AND THE CHILD
  • READ REV 12:1-6
    • THE WOMAN IS ISRAEL. THE CHILD IS JESUS CHRIST
    • GOD’S RHETORICAL QUESTIONS:
      • “BEFORE HER PAIN CAME, SHE WAS DELIVERED OF A MAN CHILD.”.
        • BEFORE ISRAEL SUFFERED FOR ALL HER REBELLION, SHE GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS CHRIST AT HIS FIRST COMING.
      • “SHALL ALL THE EARTH BE MADE TO BRING FORTH IN ONE DAY?”
        • WILL THE WHOLE PLAN OF GOD TO BRING THE JEWS BACK TO GOD AND TO BLESS AND HONOR THEM OCCUR IN ONE DAY? NO. IT WILL TAKE THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO FULFILL ALL GOD PLANNED.
      • “SHALL A NATION BE BORN AT ONCE?”
        • WILL THE NATION OF ISRAEL BE BORN AGAIN IN ONE DAY? YES, BUT IT WILL TAKE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF PRELIMINARY WORK TO BRING THEM TO THAT POINT.
      • “AS SOON AS ZION TRAVAILED, SHE BROUGHT FORTH HER CHILDREN.”
        • THE JEWS MUST SUFFER IN ORDER TO BRING THEM TO CHRIST.
      • “SHALL I BRING TO THE BIRTH, AND NOT CAUSE TO BRING FORTH?
        • WILL GOD BRING THE JEWS THROUGH THE SUFFERING AND NOT CAUSE THE NATION TO BE BORN AGAIN? NO. THE SUFFERING WILL NOT BE IN VAIN.
      • “SHALL I CAUSE TO BRING FORTH, AND SHUT THE WOMB?
        • WILL GOD BRING THE NATION OF ISRAEL TO NEW BIRTH IN CHRIST AND THEN CLOSE THE DOOR TO OTHERS COMING INTO THE KINGDOM? NO. AFTER ISRAEL IS BORN-AGAIN, THERE WILL BE A MILLENNIUM OF NEW BELIEVERS.
• READ ISA 66:10-21 GENTILES PARTAKE OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE JEWS IN THE MILLENNIUM AFTER THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.

• READ ISA 66:22-24 THE ETERNAL STATE OF THINGS
  • DISCUSSION:
  • WHAT WILL ETERNITY BE LIKE FOR THE BELIEVERS?

• THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH FOR BELIEVERS:
  • NOTICE THE PROMISE (66:22) THAT AS LONG AS ETERNITY LASTS, SO WILL BELIEVERS BE THERE.

• WHAT WILL ETERNITY BE LIKE FOR THE NON-BELIEVERS?

• THE ETERNAL LAKE OF FIRE FOR NON-BELIEVERS:
  • ISA 66:24 IS THE SAME DESCRIPTION OF ETERNAL DAMNATION THAT JESUS EXPRESSED IN MAR 9:43-48. IT IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE VALLEY OF HINNON (HEBREW) OR GAHENNA (GREEK) WHICH WAS THE GARBAGE DUMP FOR THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. IT WAS WHERE WORMS AND OTHER VERMIN PERPETUALLY LIVED, WHERE THE FIRES OF BURNING GARBAGE NEVER WENT OUT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS AN ETERNAL STATE SEPARATED FROM GOD AND HIS BLESSINGS.

• SUMMARY:
  • WHAT TITLES OF JESUS CHRIST DO YOU SEE EXEMPLIFIED IN THIS LAST CHAPTER OF ISAIAH?
    • OVERALL SUMMARY OF THE BOOK:
      • ISAIAH HAS TAUGHT US ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF GOD, HIS GRACE AND MERCY BALANCED WITH HIS WRATH AND ANGER.
      • ISAIAH HAS CLEARLY GIVEN US A PICTURE OF JESUS CHRIST IN HIS MANY ASPECTS AND ROLES FROM HIS BIRTH TO HIS REIGN AS KING.
      • ISAIAH HAS ALSO GIVEN US A CLEAR PICTURE OF GOD’S KINGDOM:
  • HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WHEN CHRIST RULES FOR 1,000 YEARS.
    • HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM WHERE BELIEVERS REAP ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
      • WE HAVE STUDIED LIFE’S ALTERNATIVES BOTH ON THE PART OF NATIONS AND FOR INDIVIDUALS OF EITHER FOLLOWING GOD AND REAPING BLESSINGS ETERNALLY OR REBELLING AGAINST GOD AND REAPING VIOLENCE AND DAMNATION ETERNALLY.
    • WE HAVE LEARNED HOW GOD DEALS WITH NATIONS–THE SAME WAY HE DEALS WITH INDIVIDUALS:
      • HE CHASTENS AND CORRECTS, SOMETIMES PAINFULLY, BUT OUT OF LOVE.
      • HE SOMETIMES USES NON-BELIEVERS TO DO HIS CORRECTING.
    • WE HAVE PAID ATTENTION TO ISAIAH’S WARNINGS REGARDING THE NATURE OF TRUE WORSHIP AS OPPOSED TO HYPOCRISY
  • SOME SPECIFIC LESSONS IN ISAIAH:
    • THE NATURE OF TRUE WORSHIP 1:11-17 AND 29:13-16
    • THE SINS GOD’S PEOPLE FALL INTO 5:8-24
    • HOW GOD CHASTENS HIS PEOPLE 10:5-6 AND 27:7-13
    • HOW GOD DEALS WITH NATIONS IN HISTORY – CHAPTERS 13-23
    • GOD’S PURPOSES IN HISTORY 27:7
    • GOD DEALS WITH US INDIVIDUALLY FOR OUR GOOD 18:23-29
    • HOW GOD GUIDES US 30:8-10 AND CHAPTERS 19-22
    • THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING AND PRAYING FOR GOOD LEADERS 10::1-2
    • HOW TO PLAN WITH GOD 20:19-22

 

THE END – GOD BLESS YOU!