Feast of Tabernacles 2007 — Day 4

Greetings, brethren! Welcome to the Feast of Tabernacles, day #4.

Today we're going to do a survey, beginning in the book of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel are called the major prophets. All of the other twelve are called the minor prophets and actually have fewer pages combined than the whole book of Isaiah.

Let's look at the prophecies of Isaiah because this is the first prophet that really begins to speak about things of God on a worldwide basis—beginning to bring in things concerning God's major overall plan. All the other ones, the former prophets, are Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Samuel, and 1st & 2nd Kings. In them there is nothing concerning the whole world. That's concerning Israel and the kings of Israel and the history of Israel. It also includes the prophets Elijah and Elisha, two of the prophets of God.

When we come to the book of Isaiah, we see here that God really brings things out. What I want to do is cover, to begin with, most of Isaiah 1. What we're going to see is that: every prophet speaks the words of God. When they begin prophesying, what they do is they bring out a warning from God. Or you could say an exposing of sin, then a call to repentance.

From there on we have different things that come into play, because as we have learned from Isa. 28 that it is 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little.' We will see some things that will come along and it will be talking about Israel, then it will be talking about the Millennium, then it will be talking about the things to take place right then, even within the same chapter. So, this is why you cannot take the prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel—and run an absolute chronological line, because there will be:

• some here and some there on one topic, then on another topic
• the current sins, the future sins
• the current captivity, the future captivity
• the restoration after Babylon, after the original Babylonian captivity
• then the restoration after Babylon the Great and the exodus beginning out of all nations

You have all of these things put together in a way that in some ways is not organized according to chronology. So, this way God can bring the message through His prophets. Then God has to work with those who read it and understand it with His Spirit so that it can be spiritually understood.

What we are going to see is how this is an encapsulation of all the problems of Israel and Judah. Remember, at the time of King Hezekiah the ten northern tribes had not yet been carried off into captivity; so, Hezekiah also deals with the children of Israel who were still there.

Isaiah 1:1: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." He had quite a spread, and he preached tremendous things.

Then God begins to bring things from a larger perspective, and this goes back to what God told the children of Israel there in Deut. 30, that He 'called heaven and earth against them,' and that 'I've set before you life and death, good and evil, blessing and cursing.' So, God harkens back to that beginning in:

Verse 2: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth…" The heaven and earth are in existence. The fact that earth is in its orbit, rotating on its axis, rotating around the sun, and the moon is rotating around it, are witnesses along with the vast heavens that God has created, that:

• His Word is true
• His Word is right
• His Law is the standard by which we need to live

"…for the LORD has spoken, 'I have reared and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me'" (v 2). So, the LORD states His cause.

Look at all that God did for the children of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt and into the 'promised land.' Go back and you read all the battles that were fought by Joshua and the children of Israel, and how they conquered the land and God gave them rest.

Then another generation arose, after Joshua and the elders died, who did not know God. And it seems as though that the generation that follows, they've got to say, 'We've never had our chance; we want to do it our way. Why are you so exclusive against all of these other nice people in our midst, who have their gods and have their religion?'

Today, we have the same thing, it's called diversity! Diversity has always been the sin and the bane of Israel. God has said that when you get involved in diversity, bringing all other people together, making them equal to what God has given to His people and His inheritance, then you start following their gods and 'you start rejecting Me.'

Today we have it so that they're just rejecting God at every hand. Just understand and know that God's hand of correction is going to come because of what we read here. This is:

• a prophecy to the people then
• a continuous prophecy to God's people down through history to the time of Christ
• a continuous prophecy for the children of Judah and Israel today in the end-time

God says He wants to teach you a simple lesson, v 3: "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel does not know Me; My people do not understand…. [we're not even as good as an ox or a donkey] …Ah, sinful nation, a people burdened with iniquity…" (vs 3-4).

I want you to think about the contemporary world in which we live, and I want you to understand what's going on. It's exactly what's happening.

"…a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger; they have gone away backward" (v 4). Then He asks 'Why you want to:

• live in the way of sin
• suffer from sin
• suffer from crime
• suffer from all of these things

when I am the One to help you?' Yet, they won't do it.

Verse 5: "Why should you be stricken any more? You will revolt more and more; the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint."

Do we not have mental disease? emotional disease? physical disease? One of the leading causes of disease is heart failure. But this means you can't think straight and you have the wrong emotions, too. So, you have everything involved. When God talks about something, you have the physical aspect and you have the spiritual aspect of it.
Verse 6: "From the sole of the foot even to the top of the head there is no soundness in it…" If that doesn't describe the governments of the nations of Israel today, I don't know how much clearer it could be. Also, in our lives:

• Do we not have sickness?
• Do we not have disease?
• Do we not have open wounds in our cities called 'ghettos'?
• Yes!

"…only wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, nor bound up, nor soothed with ointment" (v 6)—because they try and solve the problems their way, not God's way! A key, important thing to always understand: You can never solve your problems your way. You must have them God's way!

The problems that we are given to solve, which we have to work out ourselves, we have to take the principles of God to do it. Another thing I've said a lot: You cannot solve spiritual problems by political or carnal means!It's an impossibility! You must do it God's way! Here God shows how you can do it, even though it is as bad as described here in the first chapter of Isaiah.

Verse 7: "Your country is a desolation, your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land right in your very presence…"

We are beginning to see that the stranger will rise up very high above us, and we will be brought low! You can guarantee that! You can try and defeat any immigration bill that you want, but know and understand that what is happening with the immigration is the hand of God's punishment! Because, in effect, we are spiritually at war—as a nation and people—with God, Yea, even too much within the Church of God!

So, you're never, never, never going to do anything for God your way! You've got to do it God's way, and this is what God is bringing out here. Even when there's sin, you've got to do it God's way.

"…and it is wasted, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city" (vs 7-8).

Problems and terrible things all around, and it just keeps growing just like a vines. Just keeps growing! It comes out and they have these little growing little curlicues to latch on to things. Sin is just gripping everything!
God always does this—v 9—whenever He brings about an exposé or an exposing of sin, He also brings in some hope. God also realizes that in the population of Israel and also within the Church, and we're going to see many of these prophecies run parallel to Israel and the Jews and to the Church, they run parallel.

Here's one that runs parallel v 9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left us a very small remnant…" Just like during the days of Elijah, there were 7,000 that hadn't bowed the knee to Baal. God always keeps a remnant.

(Note sermon Two Generations. We need to preach and teach to the remnant in the Church and the remnant in the world that have not bowed the knee to Baal:

• those who are out there seeking Truth
• those who are out there seeking what is right

There are probably many, many people that God is working with that we know nothing about.

"…we would have been as Sodom; we would have become like Gomorrah. Hear the Word of the LORD, rulers of Sodom; give ear…" (vs 9-10).

• London
• Paris
• Amsterdam
• Bonn
• Washington, D.C.
• Sydney, Australia
• Auckland, New Zealand

all of the nations of Israel!

"…Hear the Word of the LORD, rulers of Sodom…" Oh yes, you let the Sodomites and the homosexuals take over and get rid of God. Even preach it and teach it in the schools beginning in kindergarten. God is going to judge for that! He says the way that you start getting out of your mess is this:

"…give ear to the Law of our God, people of Gomorrah" (v 10). Then he looks at all the religiosity of the people. It's been down through history and it continues to this day.

Verse 11: "'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?' says the LORD.…" What are you doing in worshipping God the way you want to?

"…'I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand…'" (vs 11-12).

• Who requires that you have the kind of church services that they have in the Catholic cathedrals and in the Protestant churches?
• Who's required that?
• Has God anything to do with any of it?
• Very little, though they use the name of God!

"'…to trample My courts?'" (v 12). Trample the name of God! Stand up in the pulpit and say, 'We don't have to keep the Laws of God, they have all been abolished.'

Do you realize how blasphemous that is? You're saying that the Lawgiver has abolished His Laws! How can there ever be anything to exist without laws? Not only spiritually, but physically! The whole universe runs by laws. You live in a society where you demand people to be lawgiving. Yet, in your pulpit, every Sunday you say, 'We have been delivered from the Law.' LIARS! And even within the Church of God that takes place. When will people ever learn? Do we in the Church fit into the same category that God has reared us and nurtured us, and we rebel against Him?

Let's see what needs to be, v 13: "Bring no more vain sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me—new moon and sabbath…" Notice it doesn't say, 'the Sabbath,' so it's 'sabbath.' What we're going to see that that is their sabbath, which today is Sunday.

If the Jews gather into the synagogues on the Sabbath Day today and reject Christ and the New Testament, what has God got to do with them?

• If the Muslims meet on Friday, what does God have to do with them?
• If those that say that every day is 'holy,' what does God have to do with them?
• Nothing! You cannot approach God except by the way He's given the instructions to do so.

This is what's so important, brethren. This is why we need to learn this lesson now. We are in the Kingdom of God as kings, priests—rulers, mayors, governors, board of regents--whatever may be our reward and where we will work. Of course, you know and understand that's just a start. Throughout all eternity there will be more to do and other positions to fill. So, keep that in mind.

But we must learn that basic lesson, it has to be according to God's way in everything that is done—not according to the way that we think or that we suppose or that we have goodness in our heart, that this is a good thing to do. NO! We have to do it according to God's way. Because people are very 'religious.'

He says: "…the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly!" (v 13).

Do you think it's right that ministers stand in the pulpit and preach that the Laws of God have been abolished and fill the land with sin, and live in a false grace, which God never gave? Of course not!

Verse 14: "Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates…" Yet, we attach the name of God to it. We proclaim through grace, 'Oh, we're all delivered to do these things. Isn't it nice. And after all, we do it for the children.' Yeah, that's right you do.

• you lie to your children
• you expose them to satanism and demonism on Halloween
• you tell them Jesus was born on a pagan holiday
• you tell them that Santa Claus exists
• you tell them that the Easter bunny is from God

God says He hates them!

"…My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me; I am weary to bear them" (v 14).

Let's look and see why religion has done very little good to change anything, and how this applies to our societies today:

Verse 15: "And when you spread forth your hands…" You're all there swaying back and forth and singing, and you're doing good to God, you're spreading forth your hands in songs and in prayer and all of the good things that you do.

• How many people are there confessing their sins and repenting to God?
• How many ministers are there in the pulpit and saying, 'We need to get back to the Sabbath of God, instead of our Sunday and our holidays'?

We need to understand, brethren, we are living in the midst of a 'crooked and perverse' society, and we've always got to keep our bearings straight. We have been called to understand the Truth from error, sin from righteousness, so that we can prepare to take over this world and rule the world. That's why God has called us. So, He says:

Verse 15: "And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood." That has been going on way too long: full of blood, crime and wretchedness. It's quite a thing!

Let's see what Ezekiel says about this, and let's see how this typifies our cities today. Think of all the things that go on in our cities today:

• all the crime
• all the hatred
• all the murder

God has sent the terrorists as correction; you need to understand that. Britain gets it first because they have gone further from God. If you go against God you're cursed with a curse!

God says, 'I will send five to chase a thousand, and a hundred to chase ten thousand.' So, all the diligence, all the surveillance, all of the taping of the wires and intruding into people's lives and all of this to try and stem the rise of the war of terror against us will prove to be futile indeed, because there is no repentance. God said that if we were with Him that five of us would chase a thousand of them, and a hundred of us would chase ten thousand of them! Does that sound like the war in Iraq? Or is it just the opposite? We need to think and understand where we are and what we are doing. We need to be vigilant in our spiritual lives.

Ezek. 7:23—here's the city that God chose to place His name. You can say that of America and Britain and the ten tribes of Israel that are scattered throughout America and Britain and also in Northwestern Europe. Look at the cities; take any city you want. Take Washington, D.C., the capital city of United States of America, is the murder capital of the U.S.A. Think about the city you live in, or think about the big city close to where you live.

Ezekiel 7:23: "Make a chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes… [that's all you see on the news anymore] …and the city is full of violence. And I will bring the worst of the heathen…" (vs 23-24).

This is why there is the immigration problem, because of all the crime, all the rejecting of God.

"…and they shall possess their houses. I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled" (v 24).
If the Islamic Jihadists take over here, what are they going to do to every Christian church? every Catholic cathedral? every idol that they find through the land?

• they are going to burn
• they are going to destroy
• they are going to make waste

It's going to happen!

Verse 25: "Terror comes…" We have lots of destruction: hurricanes, tornadoes—just like God said—also you have blasting, drought and mildew. When they get all ready, 'Oh we're going to solve the oil importation problem by having our alternative fuel. And we are going to use ethanol, made from corn and soybeans.' Oh yes, drive the price of corn and soybeans out of sight. And now they say, 'We can make alternative fuel from fruits.' So let's take our apples and our peaches and our apricots and let's make fuel.

Pray tell, what shall we eat? But just when they get ready for jumping on the bandwagon, what happens? There's a drought!

• Where is there going to be the production?
• Where is there going to be the corn?
• Where is there going to be the sugar beets?
• Where is there going to be the soybeans?
• It won't happen!

Every plan and device that we devise will never work!

"…and they shall seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster shall come upon disaster, and rumor shall be upon rumor… [sounds like the nightly news] …And they shall seek a vision from the prophet; but the Law shall perish from the priest, and wisdom from the elders" (vs 25-26).

Yeah, they'll come and say, 'What do you think?' And if someone says, 'Repent and keep the commandments of God!' Oh, you're not nice. Why don't you speak kindly to us?

Well, why don't you quit warring against God with your hatred, your rebellion, and your religious assemblies that you have, where you think you're so nice and pomp and wonderful. You need to look at it God's way!

Verse 27: "The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble. I will do to them according to their way, and according to their uncleanness… [which the judgments of the land are awful] … I will judge them; and they shall know that I am the LORD."
That's really quite a description of modern-day Israel today. Whichever country you want to look at.

Every prophet of God calls for repentance, because that's the only solution. There has to be vast repentance, and you know there needs to be repentance in the Church of God—mighty repentance in the Church of God! You look at the Churches of God and what they teach today and you ask: Do these really represent God?

You have Churches of God and church leaders that are so hateful and mean, and do not know how to preach the Truth and love of God to inspire and help the brethren to want to keep the commandments of God. No! They have to 'beat them in the face.' They have to discourage them so much that even some have committed suicide. God knows that! He looks down on it, and He sees that! He looks at the Churches of God and He asks, 'What are you doing?' Let's all of us look in our lives and ask ourselves personally:

• What am I doing?
• How am I doing?
• Am I carried away in pride and vanity?
• Am I delighting in my secret sins?
• Am I going to church every Sabbath and playing Sabbath?
• What is your relationship with God?

Here's a call to repentance:

Isaiah 1:16:"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil… [repentance then requires the next step when you do that] …learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan; plead for the widow" (vs 16-17).

This takes a process of time, as well. It's not going to be done just in one felled swoop. Yes, repentance can come that way, but that's only a start. There needs to be continuous repentance and continuous drawing close to God!

• Do you see the Churches of God doing that? It's possible!
• Do you see the nations of Israel and the Jews doing that? No way!

Maybe a few of the remnant that are there. But:

• Will the nations do it?
• Will the religious denominations do it?
• Will the Muslims forsake Mohammed and embrace Christ in Truth?
• Will the Hindus who live among us get rid of their gods?
• NO!

In Virginia, right close to the capital, they're building the biggest Hindu temple in the western hemisphere.

We need to see where we're going. We need to understand what is happening. So, God says, after you repent:

Verse 17: "Learn to do good… [v 18]: 'Come now, and let us reason together'…" The way we reason with God is through repentance and say, 'Yes, God, Your way is right. Your righteousness is Truth.'

"…'Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…'" (v 18). God will wipe it all away. God will clean it all away. And as we've seen, He will 'cast them into the depths of the sea and remove them as far from us as the east is from the west'—if there's true repentance.

"…though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land" (vs 18-19).

Now, for the modern nations of Israel, that's the only way. For the Churches of God among them, or wherever the Churches of God are in the world, that is the only way. We must love God, keep His commandments and do the things that are right.

Notice, there's another warning, v 20: "'But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword'… [the thing that everyone fears] …for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it."

Let's see what Jeremiah says. This is why we cannot put any confidence in men. This is why we cannot put any confidence in things that are devised to try and help the problems and the difficulties.

Unless there's repentance to God, all the things will only have so much of an effect. I know as we go along in the future and get closer to the end, we're going to go over these same Scriptures again and again until there are people who really understand it. God tells us that we are not to preach nice, purring, soft, fuzzy, warm words.

• we are to warn
• we are to teach
• we are to admonish

Then preach the love of God and the Truth of God that goes with it, after there is repentance! If Jer. 6:13 this doesn't describe our nations today. When you think about all the commercialism, all of the gadgets, all of the things to buy: the homes, the cars, the clothes, everything. We are so inundated, we are so glutted. God has given us everything to the nth degree of the promise that He said He would do. What have we done with it?

Jeremiah 6:13: "For everyone from the least of them even to the greatest of them is greedy for gain…" Whether you're homeless in the street and have nothing, or you're the richest man in the world like George Soros—he's not the richest but one of the richest—trying to bring down America, an avowed atheist who has set to destroy this nation. He is one of those that God has raised up to correct us! Because if you reject God, He's going to send an atheist down your throat and everything to go with it.

"…and from the prophet even unto the priest everyone deals falsely…. [no truth, no honesty, no righteousness, no goodness] …They have also healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace" (vs 13-14).

Good example: How many peace attempts have been between the Jews and the Palestinians? They always say, 'Peace, all we want is peace.' Bam! Bam! Pow! Kill them! Is that peace? The truth is, the more you reject God, the more implacable that the enemy becomes! The more you go after the enemy because they're the enemy, the more resolute they become, because there's no repentance. People think that if they go after the enemy and destroy the enemy that everything will be fine. No it won't! It can never be fine until there's repentance and turning to God, likewise in the Church and in our own individual lives.

• Are we too much like the world and at war against God?
• With the way we think and our attitudes and how we live?

Verse 15: "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?…." That includes all the homosexuality, and all of the things they do to tempt God in their behavior, that are wretched and death-defying feats.

"…No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore, they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down,' says the LORD" (v 15).

God is visiting the nations of modern Israel today. God is visiting His Church. When we come together on the Sabbath, wherever we are—whether only 2 or 3, 10 or 12, 50 or 60, 100 or 200—and we ask God to put His presence there:

• What does God have to put up with?
• Is God's presence really there in love, power and understanding?

or

• Does God have to come into the assemblies of the Churches of God holding His nose?

Here's a call for repentance. Every time there is a revealing of sin and a heralding of punishment to come, there's always a call for repentance.

Verse 16: "Thus says the LORD, 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths…'" That is the right way of God. Isn't it what they say today, 'Oh, why we're under the New Covenant, we're delivered to do all these things.' Never happen! I just read a paper from some men who have left the Church of God who say exactly what I just said and that happened last week! So, don't think that what I'm saying is not relevant.

"…where the good way is and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls…." (v 16). You make peace with God. Notice how similar this is to what it says in Isaiah. 'Cease to do evil, learn to do well, come now let us reason together.' Very similar.

…But they said, 'We will not walk in it'" (v 16). 'I don't like this preacher. I don't like how he speaks.' Or whatever it may be.

Verse 17: "Also, I set watchmen over you…" There are many 'watchmen' saying

• watch out, the depression is coming
• watch out, the dollar is going to fall
• watch out, the Amero is coming
• watch out, they're going to destroy the United States of America by amalgamating it with Canada and Mexico

then they can

• change the constitution
• change the power structure
• set up over it anyone that they want to

And the money-exchangers of the United States will RULE! It's coming! There are many voices out there saying it. God has many prophets:

• secular prophets
• governmental prophets
• warning about health
• warning about various things

Then He has His own prophets to prophesy what's going to happen spiritually, because it's going to come! There needs to be a lot of ministers in the Churches of God who are going to get up and really speak the Truth the way it needs to be—and stop being concerned about money, numbers, people, buildings, lands and all those things. God is going to take them away and strip them from us!

(go to the next track)

So we can understand the problems that are involved here; Jeremiah 5:25 "Your iniquities have turned away these things… [peace, rain, prosperity and so forth] …and your sins have withheld good thingsfrom you."

Now let's see what's going to happen. What is the greatest fear that people have today? Whatever it is, He's going to bring it! Because you don't fear God, you fear other things and circumstances, He's going to bring it upon you:

Jeremiah 6:18: "Therefore, hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them." There we are! We are the congregation of God among the children of Israel!

So, we need to listen. We need to pay attention. Let's not have the Protestant attitude of the rapture: 'We're here and God has got to take care of us because we are the Church of God.' I think the history of what has happened to the Church of God in our lifetime will prove that to be entirely incorrect. As vain and as reasoning as the reasoning of the children of Israel, that everything's going to be fine: 'Peace peace and there is no peace.'

Verse 19: "Hear, O earth… [we start out where we did in the book of Isaiah] …behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts…"

You take all the evil that's in the thoughts of everyone, because that's how God is going to measure it, and God is going to bring the fruit upon it. And what is the fruit? 'The wages of sin' is death! Destruction! Misery! War! Famine! Pestilence! Disease! They're going to come. God says they are coming.

"…because they have not hearkened to My words, nor to My Law, but have rejected it" (v 19). So, you need to think on that very deeply.

If you are involved in a Protestant church or if you are a minister of a Protestant church and you preach the Law has been done away, you are guilty of bringing this upon the people. And you need to repent. I only know of one Protestant minister that has repented. He was a Southern Baptist, and he was absolutely amazed when God opened His eyes. How many will do it. 'Oh no, you're just a raving lunatic, and who are you?' Well, if I speak the words of God, they are the words of God! If they are the words of God it really doesn't matter who the messenger is, because God says, even out of the mouths of babes He would use that. So, they "…have rejected it."

The whole purpose of this is to show how the prophets of God work.

Isaiah 1:19: "If you are willing and obedient…" The thing is, we don't put God on probation, but that's what too many people do. Wherever the if is involved, it's always on our relationship back to God, because God has given us choice, free choice. He's not going to take it away. We have to choose. If you don't choose, you're going to suffer the results of not choosing.

Verse 19: "'If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword'; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it…. [you can't get any higher authority than that] …How has the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it—but now murderers" (vs 19-21).

Try any capital city of the modern tribes of Israel today. Is that not true? Yes, indeed!

Verse 22: "Your silver has become dross…" We're worse than that today. All we have is Federal Reserve Notes—or whatever fiat money that is in whatever country of the tribes of Israel you live in, because the nations have sold their souls to the international bankers. And they OWN them. Yes, indeed!

"…your wine mixed with water; your rulers are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves a bribe, and is pursuing rewards…" (vs 22-23).

• Does that sound like your parliamentarian in Britain or in Europe?
• Does that not sound like the senators and congressmen in the United States?
• Many of them?
• Yes, indeed it does!

"…they do not judge the orphan, nor does the cause of the widow come before them" (v 23).

If they do, it's only for a vain show. And one man who says, 'I'm for the poor. I'm for the downtrodden'—who ran for President of the United States—John Edwards. He lives in a huge mansion. He's not poor. He gets $400 haircuts. He sets up private foundations so he can get money and filter it through and give it to the people that he wants to. Is he giving any of it to the poor? You know ALL are hypocrites!

Verse 24: "And the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel says…" There comes a point when God's patience runs out. There comes a point that when we make God to serve with our sins, that He says, 'Enough is enough is enough!' People take advantage of God's mercy and kindness and graciousness and patience. But it will come to an end!

"…'Alas! I Myself will vent My wrath upon My foes, and avenge Myself of My enemies…. [the enemies are His own people] …And I will turn back My hand upon you, and purge away your dross as with lye, and take away all your tin alloy" (vs 24-25).

He has to do that. That's why the tribulation is coming. That's why there's going to be a captivity. That's why these things are going to come in the judgment of God before the Millennium can be established.

Verse 26—when the Kingdom of God begins. Now notice what we've gone through here see. Notice the structure of what we have in Isa. 1. God calling to repentance the children of Israel at the time of Isaiah. This applies to any of the children of Israel down through history, and it comes to the end-time.

Whenever He exposes sin, He calls for repentance. Then when He gets down to the beginning of the Kingdom of God or the Millennium, that's interspersed right in there. It sort of just jumps at you as out of sequence. But that's the way that God inspired it to be.

Verse 26: "And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterwards you shall be called The City of Righteousness, The Faithful City."

• Who's going to live there during the Millennium? Jesus Christ and the saints! It will be righteous!
• Who are the judges that He is going to give? The saints who are resurrected and who are going to rule and reign with Christ!

Note sermon series: Judge Righteous Judgment. We need to judge righteous judgment, and we need to learn it.

• we're going to be the judges
• we're going to be the counselors
• we're going to be the priests
• we're going to be the kings

Verse 27: "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and those in her who repent with righteousness," Zion is us! Zion can also apply to the survivors of the ten tribes of Israel when they come out of Tribulation. And also to the Jews and the Levites when they come out of Tribulation.

Verse 28: "And the downfall of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together; and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed." When that happens there's going to be another wave of repentance.

Verse 29: "For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens which you have chosen, for you shall be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water. And the strong shall be like a wick, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall put them out" (vs 29-31).

When God sets His hand to do some correcting, it's going to be something! We need to understand that.

I want to show the pattern. What did God say of John the Baptist? There was 'no greater prophet that has risen among men than John the Baptist'! Yet, 'he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven will be greater than John.' I want to show you the same pattern that we saw in Isa. 1 of exposing of sin, call to repentance, etc., is the same pattern that all the prophets of God always use, and ends with a dire warning!

John the Baptist was the son of a priest—Zacharias—and his mother Elizabeth was of the daughters of Aaron. He didn't practice and train in any of the priesthood. No, he was out in the wilderness until the day of his appearing. Everyone knew about John the Baptist because of the miraculous birth that John had because his parents were old and well-stricken with age, which means they had to be over seventy. And it was the talk everywhere in Judea.

I imagine all through the years when different ones would get together and talk about it, because everyone knew about it. Everyone knew about when John was, on the day that he was circumcised. The prophecies we find of that in Luke 1. They understood and they were probably wondering, 'I wonder what happened to John? Where is John? He's never taken any of the training to be a priest.'

Yet, here was this miraculous birth, the old age of his parents. So, one day, John the Baptist shows up, preaching:

• not at the temple
• not telling people to offer sacrifices
• not telling people to take the ritual baths after they've offered their sacrifice for sin
• No!

Matthew 3:1: "Now, in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'" (vs 1-2).

He was the messenger to prepare the way. Malachi says that the priest is the messenger of God. John was preparing the way for Christ. So, Christ—God manifested in the flesh—was the coming King of the Kingdom of God and it was at hand. The preaching of the Kingdom of God took precedence over the Law and the Prophets. Not to do away with them, but a higher authority.

Verse 3: "For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths."'

John himself wore a garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (vs 3-4). Never tasted once of any sacrifice. Think of that!

Verse 5: "Then went out to him those from Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the country around the Jordan, and were being baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins" (vs 5-6).

A new way of removal of sins. Not by sacrifice and ritual. Not at the temple, because his whole ministry was a prophecy of the destruction of the temple, and the whole priestly system, done by a priest! So, God used the authority that He set in motion to do and accomplish His work.

Verse 7: "But after seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism…"

Here the rulers, the religious leaders. Why would they go there? Because they knew that he was the son of priest! They wanted to find out what he was doing down there. When you read the account in John 1, you understand that it was an official investigation by the priests, the Pharisees and the Levites to find out who he was.

They said, 'Are you the Christ?' He said, 'No.' They said, 'Are you that prophet?' He said, 'No.' They said, 'Are you Elijah?' He said, 'No.' Though later, Jesus said he was Elijah. They said, 'Well, who are you?' He said, 'I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness.'

They come down there and the reception he gave them. Think! They're in their robes, they're all dignified, they're all coming as a committee from the high priest to find out what's going on down there. 'We need to know why are all the people going there.'

I don't know if their income stream was becoming less because the people didn't go to the temple, but rather went to John the Baptist at the Jordan River, but it probably had something to do with that, because they could have their sins forgiven without going to the temple to buy a sacrifice. So, who knows, that may be part of it.

"…he said to them, 'You brood of vipers… [How's that for a nice welcome? 'You slithering snakes in the grass.'] …who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?'" (v 7).

Oh, you want to escape. As John told them here a little later, 'Don't say that we have Abraham for our father.' Don't count on who you are to have any importance before God unless there is repentance.

Verse 8: "Therefore, produce fruits worthy of repentance." Isn't that very similar to the outline we find in Isa. 1? Yes, indeed, because that's how God works! 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. I, the Lord, do not change.'

Verse 9: "And do not think to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. But already the axe is striking at the roots of the trees…" (vs 9-10).

God is going to take you down! And this is also a prophecy of the destruction of the temple!

"…therefore, every tree that is not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (v 10). That sound just like the condemnation and the threat of captivity and destruction and doom by Isaiah? Because of the lack of repentance? Yes!

Verse 11: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but the One Who is coming after me is mightier than I, of Whom I am not fit to carry His sandals…" He's saying that if you think what I'm saying is tough, wait. You want to know what Jesus said to the Scribes and Pharisees, read Matt. 23.

"…He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire" (v 11)—with the Holy Spirit to those who repent, and with fire to those who did not. And what happened to Jerusalem? Totally destroyed! Burned to the ground. Stones removed, not one on top of another. Does God mean what He says? Yes, He does!

Verse 12: "Whose winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather His wheat into the granary… [that's us] …but the chaff… [that's them, those who don't repent] …He will burn up with unquenchable fire."

He's even giving the warning of the unpardonable sin because the priests and the Scribes and the Pharisees knew better.

• they had the Word of God
• they had all the prophecies of the Messiah
• they knew who Jesus was
• they understood who He was

But because Jesus did not align Himself politically with them, to bring in the Kingdom of God at that time, as a physical nation, and leave them in charge to run it, they crucified Him!.

So, you see that God does things differently than people think. Once people get off on a tangent their minds are closed. Their minds are covered. Their eyes are blind. So he says,

Verse 13: "Then Jesus came from Galilee…" Then it talks about the baptism of Jesus. That was done to fulfill all righteousness and for John to have the confirmation that he was the one to prepare the way for the Messiah.

Let's see here how the pattern goes. Notice that we have interjected right in here what's going to happen when the Kingdom of God is on the earth when Christ comes and rules during the Millennium. Now, we'll just read this one. Others will go through and what I want to do is take highlights out of Isaiah and use that as a springboard to show the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles and the thousand-year rule of Christ and the saints.

Isaiah 2:1: "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem." This was done somewhere around 830B.C. Think of how long that is until it's established. We are already at 2900 years, think of that!

Verse 2: "And it shall come to pass, in the last days…" When are the 'last days'? They didn't know then. They haven't known all the way down through time. but we know a little more now than they knew. That doesn't make us more righteous or fit for the Kingdom of God just because we know. It has to do with what we do with God's Spirit and has to do with how we love and obey God.

"…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 into it" (v 2).

It's going to be the capital of the world. That's why I showed what the temple of the Millennium will be—The Millennial Temple #s1 & 2. Nothing like anything we have seen before. It's going to be awesome and beautiful and fantastic.

Then it shows what's going to happen. People have to choose God's way. Even with Christ on the earth and God having conquered the whole world and the saints reigning as kings and priests and whatever other offices there are to reign in, God is not going to take away free choice. The word of repentance is going to go out. Some people will be very willing!

Verse 3: "And many people shall go and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD…'" Just think what it's going to be like to approach the mountain of God with that great canopy, as a tabernacle covering Jerusalem. Think about that highway that they're going to have to walk in to go there. Think about what it's going to be an awesome thing to see.

"…to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways… [His ways never change.] … and we will walk in His paths.'…. [because that's the way of the Lord] …For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (v 3).

There are going to be some people who are not going to want to cooperate. They're going to be real hard, stubborn and obstinate, of which Gog and Magog are going to be taken care of sometime shortly after the Millennium begins.

Verse 4: "And He shall judge among the nations…" How does it say that He shall judge among the nations? Zech. 14: He's going to cut off the rain from those who have rain. Those who don't have rain He's going to send the plague. And it's going to be very convincing!. They're still going to have to choose, and if they repent, God will heal them.

"…and shall rebuke many people; and they shall…" (v 4). They're going to learn war does not pay. You are never going to accomplish anything lasting with war. Now, the only one who wars in righteousness is the coming Christ. That's to put down sin and evil.

"…beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (v 4).

Now you stop and think about that! You take that one phrase, "…neither shall they learn war anymore." What a change in society is going to have to take place. It's going to have to begin in the cradle. It's going to have to continue to the end of life. Think about all the toys of destruction that children play with today. Won't be any!

• no more war games
• no more Dungeons and Dragons and all of the evil things that they have on these computer games
• no more toy guns and toy spears
• no more hatefulness, child to child
• mothers are not going to have to be out there working

God is going to take away the hardness of their hearts. Amazing!

Verse 5: "O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD." That's quite a thing. Now let's see what else happens. You find this in every one of the prophets as you go through them. God goes along. He gives:

• a warning
• a condemnation of sin
• a call to repentance
• a re-education

Then the Millennium and then it comes back to another time!

So, we can say, beginning with v 6 we have the Tribulation; so we can say that this is pictured in a time of judgment, which could even picture the Feast of Trumpets and blend into that, the full meaning of it. So, as we go through the book of Isaiah, we are going to see it covers Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, all interspersed within the book of Isaiah! Amazing! You can take any of the prophets and do an outline and structure it according to the Holy Days.

We will have to say that Ezekiel is probably more wholly given over to the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets and war, destruction, punishment and correction than any of the other prophets. Ezekiel brings very, very little concerning the Millennium. Jeremiah brings a little bit more. But Isaiah brings the most concerning the Millennium. Then we have some of it in the other twelve minor prophets.

Now then, Isaiah goes back and he points out their sins again, and why Christ has to come and exercise judgment:

Verse 6 "For You have forsaken Your people… [Isaiah talking to God] …the house of Jacob, because they have become full of divinations from the east… [Isn't that happening today? Eastern religions coming in? Yes!] …and are fortune-tellers like the Philistines…."

What do we have in every single newspaper? You have your birth-sign, which is fortune telling! 'What will my day be like today? Oh, newspaper and soothsayer, tell me.'

"…And they shake their hands with the children of strangers…. [to follow their way and do their way] …And their land is full of silver and gold…." (vs 6-7).

Oh yeah, there's a seeming prosperity because God promised Abraham He would do it, and He is doing it. But no, just as He has done it, He is going to take it away.

"…There is no end of their treasures and their land is full of horses; neither is there any end of their chariots" (v 7).

Look at all of our cars and transportation, everything that we have everywhere! Cars everywhere! Trucks everywhere! Add to that: airplanes, public and private. Add to that the prophecy that Daniel gave: 'Many shall go to and fro and knowledge shall increase.' Add all of that in there you see; because this is what we're talking about with the Word of God.

Verse 8: "And their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made."

Now just take this one verse here, v 8, and kind of put it up right in front when you're watching television and watch all the ads. Isn't that what they do? Yes, indeed! Appealing to what? Covetousness! Getting people in debt. And they worship what their hands have made, what their fingers have made!

Verse 9: "And men will be brought low, and humbled—forgive them not…. [because they knew better] …Enter into the rock…" (vs 9-10). Now we're talking about here beginning with the sign of the Son of man (Rev. 6:15).

"…and hide in the dust for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the pride of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day" (vs 10-11).

Let all the mighty come! Let all the armies come! Bring all your weapons, bring all the very best that man can do! 'Come! Come!' is what Christ is going to say. And they're going to come.

Verse 12: "For the Day of the LORD of hosts… [Feast of Trumpets] …shall be on every proud and haughty one, and on every exalted one; and they shall be brought low, and it shall be on all the high and lifted up cedars of Lebanon, and upon all the oaks of Bashan" (vs 12-13). That is just like saying all the leaders of the world, all the leaders of the nations.

Verse 14: "And upon all the high mountains, and on all the hills that are lifted up." Those are governments. If we have nations and hills over here referring to the Kingdom of God in the first part of this chapter, then this refers to the governments that are on earth now.

Verse 15: "And upon every high tower, and on every fortified wall."—every way of war. God saying, 'Bring it on! You want to fight Me? Bring it on!' You'll be defeated!

Verse 16: "And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasurable craft. And the 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" (vs 16-17).

This has to happen in order to prepare the way for the Kingdom of God to reign and rule on the earth. God is going to destroy this entire world system—every bit of it! It's going to be a new government, a new way, and God is going to make a New Covenant with the people of the world, beginning with Israel and Judah. The New Covenant with Israel and Judah beginning with the Millennium has not yet taken place. The New Covenant with His Church began with the last Passover of Jesus Christ and continues on down to this day.

Verse 18: "And the idols He shall utterly abolish." I find it most interesting and profound that the Catholic prophecies say that the:

• antichrist is going to abolish idols
• antichrist is going to reign a thousand years

Are they blinded? Whatever has gotten into people's hearts and minds that they consider that the Catholics are Christian? They're not! They are false christs, false christians and the Protestants are going along just like dumb sheep to the slaughter. You tell me the last time you ever heard a ringing sermon against Catholicism from a Sunday-keeping Protestant church. When? Maybe someone rare out there would do it!

Verse 19: "And they shall go into the holes of the rocks…" No more office buildings, no more bomb shelters, nothing, nothing to protect you, except you see a hole in the rock and you run in there.

"…and into the caves of the earth for fear of the LORD and for the glory of His majesty…" (v 19). That ties right in exactly with the Feast of Trumpets, and the return of Christ. And this ties right in exactly beginning Rev. 6:12 all the way through to the end and Christ putting His feet on the earth with the saints.

"…when He arises 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" (vs 19-20).

All the way through the book of Isaiah, God talks about those who make idols over and over and over and over again. Men consider themselves to be intelligent. Men consider themselves to be something special. Yet, they will hire someone to make an idol of silver or gold, carve it, forge it, build it and put it in its place, then come and bow down and worship it! It can't see, it can't hear, it can't speak, it can't think, it can't save from anything else. Yet, that whole system is idolatry. So God's going to get rid of it. Same way with the Buddhist. They have these little idols. They're going to be gone. And when they do that:

Verse 21: "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 arises to shake terribly the earth. Turn away yourselves from such a man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for in what is he to be esteemed?" (vs 21-22).

Isa. 1 & 2 prepares the way for the beginning of the Millennium. There are many, many other chapters that we're going to survey throughout the book of Isaiah. Realize that in order for the Kingdom of God to come, there has to be the preparation for it and here are some of the verses in the Word of God that prepares for it. If you go back and you put all the prophecies of it together, one after the other through all the Old Testament and the New Testament, it is absolutely incredible that people would not believe that Christ is going to return and establish His Kingdom on this earth.

• It's going to be something!
• It's going to be awesome!

 Brethren, God has called us to be a part of it. So, let's do as God says.

• let's put away our sins
• let's put away our vanity
• let's put away all of our selfishness and things that pull us down

Help all the brethren that you know to do the same thing, so that we can do what is right in God's sight. So that He can say to us, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!' He will give us the responsibility of ruling and reigning with Christ!

Scriptural References

• Isaiah 1:1-15
• Ezekiel 7:23-27
• Isaiah 1:16-20
• Jeremiah 6:13-17
• Jeremiah 5:25
• Jeremiah 6:18-19
• Isaiah 1:19-31
• Matthew 3:1-13
• Isaiah 2:1-22

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Isaiah 28
• Deuteronomy 30
• Luke 1
• John 1
• Matthew 23
• Zechariah 14
• Revelation 6:15; 12-22

Also referenced: Sermons:

• The Two Generations
• The Millennial Temples #s 1 & 2
• Sermon & booklet: Judge Righteous Judgment

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-8-07
Reformatted: 3/2018