By James Fire
There are those professing believers of Christ who see the Millennium as a mere allegory; others believe that we are actually living in the Millennial period now. Both views fail to hold a strict and literal view of the Scriptures, and as a result assert a soft, even ambiguous interpretation of God's Word.
Up until now, we have examined many Scriptures on this subject, and we still have a ways to go before we complete this task. What we must ask ourselves in our examination of the many verses that deal with this subject is, Can we interpret this passage literally or not? Is it possible for the LORD God to fulfill these future events in actuality?
I have found that if we can believe GENESIS 1:1, then the rest of the Bible is entirely credible, for what can't God accomplish, Who created “the heavens and the earth”? And just as He created the heavens and the earth, there will come a time, at the conclusion of the Millennial period when the LORD will cause all of creation to vanish away with explosive effect of universal proportions (2 PET. 3:10; REV. 20:11) and make way for a new heavens and a new earth (REV. 21:1)!
So let us continue in our examination of the Scriptures and see what else we may learn of this astounding age yet to come!
ISAIAH 33:14-22
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. 18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? 19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. 21 But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
As mentioned previously, the coming of the LORD will created two distinctly different reactions from people: for the saint, there will be sublime joy; for the sinner, they shall experience abject terror. The tragedy is that no one ever need to dread the LORD's coming, if only they would receive the LORD and His salvation, and allow Him to clothe them with the robes of righteousness, the “wedding garment” as spoken of in the Gospels (MATT. 22:1-13). Yet because they reject the King, they can have no part in the Kingdom He has prepared for them that love Him (1 COR. 2:9)!
Sinners and hypocrites will be stunned and terror-stricken when the LORD returns to claim His rightful rule upon this Earth, particularly the nation of Israel. Yet for the righteous, who have conducted themselves in a manner pleasing to the LORD, empowered to do so by His very Spirit of grace via the spiritual rebirth (JOHN 3:3,5), they shall be exalted to positions of honor and prominence (MATT. 5:5; 1 PET. 5:6).
The LORD shall bring His own, all of those Jews who have come to know Y'shua as the Messiah of Israel during the time of “Jacob's Trouble” (JER. 30:7) to the land of Israel and “they shall behold the land that is very far off” and find a place of blessedness and quiet peace (MARK 13:27). They shall behold their King in His beauty! And such beauty as no one can possibly imagine but only fall before Him and worship JESUS! (PSALM 29:2).
Jerusalem which literally means “city of peace” will finally know peace and quiet, never again to suffer persecution and war from her multitude of enemies! The government of Zion will finally be established (PSALM 2:6)!
Our government was founded upon a system of checks and balances in a Constitutional effort to divide the powers of the Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches and thus diminish power from being in too few hands, and therefore be susceptible to corruption. Today we see rampant and widespread corruption among the leaders of our Federal government, precisely because the system of checks and balances has been broken, and become ineffectual.
Yet here the LORD Himself, the Incorruptible and Holy and Glorious KING will wield all three offices and rule with justice and perfection: He is indeed the Judge (Judicial), the Law-giver (Legislative) and the King (Executive; see the TTUF series now completed: The FOUR PRIMARY OFFICES of GOD).
ISAIAH 35:1-10 in it's entirety is known as a Messianic text; let's divide it up a bit and examine each section:
ISAIAH 35:1-2
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
Here we have more about the actual climate change that will take place; this isn't some fabrication of pseudo-science to achieve political consolidation of power on a global scale (the true purpose of 'Global Warming' propaganda) but a reality we have yet to witness. Barren places such as deserts will no longer be parched with remote and scant life present, but will blossom with fertile soil and lush vegetation comparable to the very land of Eden itself (See also EZEK. 36:33-35)!
ISAIAH 35:3-6a
3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing . . .
The blossoming of the desolate places on the Earth is foretold to occur at the time when the LORD comes with vengeance (ISAIAH 63:1-4 mentions the LORD's return with vengeance and righteous indignation, and we will examine this passage in detail later; also consider 2 THESS. 1:8) upon the rebellious.
Yet here we read how the LORD will bring courage and strength to the fearful of heart (the Jewish people who will undergo the greatest and most severe persecution in all of their history); He will also bring national healing to His people. We recognize these verses from the time when the LORD Jesus walked the Earth and brought healing to people. These were not only acts of compassion from our tenderhearted and benevolent LORD, but prophetic signs of healing which the Scriptures foretold would occur when the Messiah arrived. The Jewish religious leadership along with the scribes and lawyers should have perceived and understood this, but didn't. Because the Messiah was rejected by His people, His reign did not – at that time – commence: but it will, in the not too distant future!
ISAIAH 35:6b-10
. . . for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
No doubt we shall behold wonders as the LORD does His miraculous work of restoration and rejuvenation of the Earth, bringing such beauty as has never before been witnessed by the inhabitants of the world. Botanists claim that thorns are really undeveloped stems that would flower and if that is the case, then imagine when the LORD commences this work, what a rose bush with its countless thorns will look like – or for that matter, a cactus! Streams will overflow the dusty, bleak landscapes the world over and bring greenery and lush growth every where!
Ravenous beasts will be no more (Remember ISAIAH 11:7) and the animal kingdom will be at rest, with no predators, prey and bloodshed or death.
Another reference here is made concerning Zion – there are 162 references to Zion (including the spelling, 'Sion') in the entire canon of Scripture, and always it's mentioned in connection with God's desire, plan and purpose. Never is Zion spoken of as being evil (though the people who dwell there may at times be referred to as such; occult Zionism is a Satanic counterfeit of the real thing, populated by the Rothschilds, and that ilk) or a means of Satanic agendas; only in the writings of anti-Semites (some of them calling themselves Christians) can we read of such things. I will give heed to the Scriptures before any nonsense written by mere men, nor will I attribute Zionism to those who would claim such an appellation for themselves (like the Rothschilds, etc.
NOTE: This author does not necessarily agree with everything included in the preceding article that is linked to 'Rothschilds').
For God's saints that return to Zion, they shall experience an unending and uninterrupted joy and gladness – there will never be a time of sorrow or sighing, ever again!
While the book of Isaiah is full of Messianic prophecies from beginning to end, the intensity and frequency of such prophecies begin to positively gush like perpetual fountains from Chapter 40 and on. Here is another quite familiar passage!
ISAIAH 40:1-11
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of theLord hath spoken it. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
From the time after the ministry of Malachi to the “fullness of time” when John the Baptist was born, there was that time of Silence, lasting over four hundred years; there was no vision, no word, no prophecy from the LORD. It was the calm before the prophetic storm.
When John the Baptist began his ministry, he declared what was recorded in the book of Isaiah 40:6. This greatest of all prophets was sent to Israel to bring comfort as well as conviction; this “voice” declared that the Messiah would be coming and that “the kingdom of heaven draws near” - and such would have been enacted and officiated by the King in that day, had Israel received her King, but they did not (but will at the Second Coming of Christ).
Much that was intended to be fulfilled at that day speaks of the reign of the Messiah, but since the LORD Jesus Christ was “despised” and “rejected of men” (IS. 53:3) the time of this fulfillment is yet future, and will take place during the Millennium.
The prophecy contained here in Chapter 40 speaks of the warfare of Israel will come to an end; swords will be turned into plowshares (IS. 2:4; MIC. 4:3). It also declares that Israel's iniquity is pardoned, for He has borne the sins of His people (IS. 53:4-6). Every valley will be exalted and every mountain made low at the coming of the LORD to establish His reign; that is, every one that is poor and lowly, oppressed and preyed upon – even unto death – will be raised up and honored; the proud and mighty, arrogant and self-exalting rulers and oppressors of this world along with their domains (these mountains) will be abased and humiliated (JAMES 4:6; 1 PET 5:5). Judgment will be witnessed on that day and justice will scour clean the world of all it's iniquity. The LORD as a tender-hearted Shepherd will care for His sheep.
ISAIAH 40:5, 9
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of theLord hath spoken it. 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
These verses clearly indicate that “all flesh” - the whole of humanity, as well as Jerusalem and the cities of Judah will witness the revelation of Christ and His glory; they shall behold God personally. Elsewhere in Scripture we will see that people will encounter the physical presence of the LORD Jesus Christ such as ZECH 13:6.
The LORD will come to judge His people and bring reward for the just and the unjust, the redeemed as well as the condemned, and a warning goes out to all Israel and the world at large: “all flesh is grass” that is to say, life is terribly temporary, a vapor in the wind (JAMES 4:14) and one must lay hold of eternal life in Christ before one's demise – a date appointed as certainly as the day of our birth, but whereas we know when we were born, we do not know the hour of our death.
ISAIAH 42:1-4
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
This “Servant” is none other than the LORD Jesus Christ (MATT. 12:18), in Whom the Father is well pleased, upholds and delights in (MATT. 3:17; 17:5), is the One in Whom His Spirit rests upon permanently as the Anointed One (IS. 61:1; LUKE 4:18), the Christ (MATT. 16:16-17). Once gain, we read how He will bring judgment to the Gentiles – and yet during His three year ministry, the LORD did not fulfill this prophecy, which means this is yet to be fulfilled, and will be, upon His return! During His earthly ministry, He did fulfill vs. 2 and 3 and yet “bringing judgment unto truth” entails more than what He accomplished the first time around. He will not fail in accomplishing this, and will persevere until He has established justice in all the world!
It's a theme throughout Scripture that the qualifications for a leader, authenticated by the LORD, is that they must be a servant, and this qualification is most ably demonstrated supremely by the LORD Jesus Christ Himself, the veritable prototype for us Christians to follow, if we would desire a great position in the kingdom of God for the sole purpose of serving and glorifying the LORD (PHIL. 2:5-10; MATT. 23:11-12; MARK 9:33-37). The next chapter in Isaiah is likewise primarily Messianic and we shall examine it a few verses at a time:
ISAIAH 44:1-3
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
The people addressed here is Israel of course; Jesurun is a synonym for Jerusalem. The LORD states twice for emphasis that He has chosen this people and this nation (vs.1, 2). He speaks of pouring water on the thirsty (JOHN 4:10-11; 7:38) and He is of course the “living water” Himself. The LORD also states that He will pour His Spirit upon the seed of Israel and blessings on the Jewish people's offspring. Scripture addresses the fact that there is coming a day when the Spirit of the LORD will fill all the nation of Israel, such as this reference in Ezekiel:
EZEKIEL 37:5, 8-9,14
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.
Also EZEKIEL 36:24-27
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them (See also JER. 31:32-34).
This exciting event is destined to take place once the church of Jesus Christ is completed, “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” and translated; once this occurs, the LORD will turn His attention fully upon the nation of Israel once again, first in chastening (the time of Jacobs Trouble; JER. 30:7) in the Great Tribulation in which a remnant will be saved (ROM. 9:26-28), then in restoration at His return, and the Spirit of the LORD will dwell in them in the wondrous act of salvation.
ROMANS 11:25-27
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
ISAIAH 44:4-8
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. 5 One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. 6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Here we observe the loyalty of God's people to the LORD Himself by various means of declaration, even mentioning Jacob who turned out to become Israel, a prince with God.
The LORD does some declaration Himself as well as “His redeemer” Who is the LORD of hosts - in other words, they are both declaring this:
“...I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God...”
The Redeemer is the LORD of hosts and He is also the first and the last just as is the LORD the King of Israel. Yet they also declare that “beside me there is no God”. This would be considered some sort of double-speak if it weren't for the fact that the Tri-une nature of God hadn't been revealed to us in Scripture.
These loyalists to YHWH are of course the Jewish people who will live during the Millennial Reign, and these are God's true witnesses – not the infamous Jehovah's Witnesses that we hear knocking on our doors these days!
Just as the LORD began His plan of creation and redemption, likewise He will finish this work, end this present physical universe, and create a new heavens and a new earth. Indeed, He is the Beginning and the End, the ALPHA and OMEGA.
The LORD Jesus Christ is King, the coming reigning King Who will restore the kingdom to Israel one day, but of His eternal kingdom, there shall be no end! See ISAIAH 9:7; LUKE 1:33.
Here we shall end part 3 of this series, and we shall begin at once studying more passages from Isaiah, and the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures and explore what else we shall witness in the exciting time to come, known as the Millennial Reign of Christ!
Until then, the LORD bless and keep you all!
For God's saints that return to Zion, they shall experience an unending and uninterrupted joy and gladness – there will never be a time of sorrow or sighing, ever again!
While the book of Isaiah is full of Messianic prophecies from beginning to end, the intensity and frequency of such prophecies begin to positively gush like perpetual fountains from Chapter 40 and on. Here is another quite familiar passage!
ISAIAH 40:1-11
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of theLord hath spoken it. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
From the time after the ministry of Malachi to the “fullness of time” when John the Baptist was born, there was that time of Silence, lasting over four hundred years; there was no vision, no word, no prophecy from the LORD. It was the calm before the prophetic storm.
When John the Baptist began his ministry, he declared what was recorded in the book of Isaiah 40:6. This greatest of all prophets was sent to Israel to bring comfort as well as conviction; this “voice” declared that the Messiah would be coming and that “the kingdom of heaven draws near” - and such would have been enacted and officiated by the King in that day, had Israel received her King, but they did not (but will at the Second Coming of Christ).
Much that was intended to be fulfilled at that day speaks of the reign of the Messiah, but since the LORD Jesus Christ was “despised” and “rejected of men” (IS. 53:3) the time of this fulfillment is yet future, and will take place during the Millennium.
The prophecy contained here in Chapter 40 speaks of the warfare of Israel will come to an end; swords will be turned into plowshares (IS. 2:4; MIC. 4:3). It also declares that Israel's iniquity is pardoned, for He has borne the sins of His people (IS. 53:4-6). Every valley will be exalted and every mountain made low at the coming of the LORD to establish His reign; that is, every one that is poor and lowly, oppressed and preyed upon – even unto death – will be raised up and honored; the proud and mighty, arrogant and self-exalting rulers and oppressors of this world along with their domains (these mountains) will be abased and humiliated (JAMES 4:6; 1 PET 5:5). Judgment will be witnessed on that day and justice will scour clean the world of all it's iniquity. The LORD as a tender-hearted Shepherd will care for His sheep.
ISAIAH 40:5, 9
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of theLord hath spoken it. 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
These verses clearly indicate that “all flesh” - the whole of humanity, as well as Jerusalem and the cities of Judah will witness the revelation of Christ and His glory; they shall behold God personally. Elsewhere in Scripture we will see that people will encounter the physical presence of the LORD Jesus Christ such as ZECH 13:6.
The LORD will come to judge His people and bring reward for the just and the unjust, the redeemed as well as the condemned, and a warning goes out to all Israel and the world at large: “all flesh is grass” that is to say, life is terribly temporary, a vapor in the wind (JAMES 4:14) and one must lay hold of eternal life in Christ before one's demise – a date appointed as certainly as the day of our birth, but whereas we know when we were born, we do not know the hour of our death.
ISAIAH 42:1-4
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
This “Servant” is none other than the LORD Jesus Christ (MATT. 12:18), in Whom the Father is well pleased, upholds and delights in (MATT. 3:17; 17:5), is the One in Whom His Spirit rests upon permanently as the Anointed One (IS. 61:1; LUKE 4:18), the Christ (MATT. 16:16-17). Once gain, we read how He will bring judgment to the Gentiles – and yet during His three year ministry, the LORD did not fulfill this prophecy, which means this is yet to be fulfilled, and will be, upon His return! During His earthly ministry, He did fulfill vs. 2 and 3 and yet “bringing judgment unto truth” entails more than what He accomplished the first time around. He will not fail in accomplishing this, and will persevere until He has established justice in all the world!
It's a theme throughout Scripture that the qualifications for a leader, authenticated by the LORD, is that they must be a servant, and this qualification is most ably demonstrated supremely by the LORD Jesus Christ Himself, the veritable prototype for us Christians to follow, if we would desire a great position in the kingdom of God for the sole purpose of serving and glorifying the LORD (PHIL. 2:5-10; MATT. 23:11-12; MARK 9:33-37). The next chapter in Isaiah is likewise primarily Messianic and we shall examine it a few verses at a time:
ISAIAH 44:1-3
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
The people addressed here is Israel of course; Jesurun is a synonym for Jerusalem. The LORD states twice for emphasis that He has chosen this people and this nation (vs.1, 2). He speaks of pouring water on the thirsty (JOHN 4:10-11; 7:38) and He is of course the “living water” Himself. The LORD also states that He will pour His Spirit upon the seed of Israel and blessings on the Jewish people's offspring. Scripture addresses the fact that there is coming a day when the Spirit of the LORD will fill all the nation of Israel, such as this reference in Ezekiel:
EZEKIEL 37:5, 8-9,14
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.
Also EZEKIEL 36:24-27
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them (See also JER. 31:32-34).
This exciting event is destined to take place once the church of Jesus Christ is completed, “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” and translated; once this occurs, the LORD will turn His attention fully upon the nation of Israel once again, first in chastening (the time of Jacobs Trouble; JER. 30:7) in the Great Tribulation in which a remnant will be saved (ROM. 9:26-28), then in restoration at His return, and the Spirit of the LORD will dwell in them in the wondrous act of salvation.
ROMANS 11:25-27
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
ISAIAH 44:4-8
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. 5 One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. 6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Here we observe the loyalty of God's people to the LORD Himself by various means of declaration, even mentioning Jacob who turned out to become Israel, a prince with God.
The LORD does some declaration Himself as well as “His redeemer” Who is the LORD of hosts - in other words, they are both declaring this:
“...I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God...”
The Redeemer is the LORD of hosts and He is also the first and the last just as is the LORD the King of Israel. Yet they also declare that “beside me there is no God”. This would be considered some sort of double-speak if it weren't for the fact that the Tri-une nature of God hadn't been revealed to us in Scripture.
These loyalists to YHWH are of course the Jewish people who will live during the Millennial Reign, and these are God's true witnesses – not the infamous Jehovah's Witnesses that we hear knocking on our doors these days!
Just as the LORD began His plan of creation and redemption, likewise He will finish this work, end this present physical universe, and create a new heavens and a new earth. Indeed, He is the Beginning and the End, the ALPHA and OMEGA.
The LORD Jesus Christ is King, the coming reigning King Who will restore the kingdom to Israel one day, but of His eternal kingdom, there shall be no end! See ISAIAH 9:7; LUKE 1:33.
Here we shall end part 3 of this series, and we shall begin at once studying more passages from Isaiah, and the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures and explore what else we shall witness in the exciting time to come, known as the Millennial Reign of Christ!
Until then, the LORD bless and keep you all!
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