June 3, 2010

• Isaiah 22 & 24 by Pastor Don Moore

  Notes from Bible Study taught on 3/12/2010 by Pastor Don Moore, Living Word Chapel, West Hurley, NY.

  This is a Messianic passage.

  Judgment of Shebna

  Isaiah 22:15-17 Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “Go, proceed to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the house, and say: ‘What have you here, and whom have you here, that you have hewn a sepulcher here, as he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, who carves a tomb for himself in a rock? Indeed, the LORD will throw you away violently, O mighty man, and will surely seize you.

  When we read a passage we want to ask questions, who – sepulcher, tomb. The person is anticipating death and made a tomb. The sepulcher is made on high, and they carved the tomb for themselves in a rock. This is as if in preparation for their own death and they are hoping to establish for themselves as an altar in the heavenlies or above what God has for us. Our plan will fail. God will overthrow this plan violently.

  Isaiah 22:18-20 He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you shall die, and there your glorious chariots shall be the shame of your master’s house. So I will drive you out of your office, and from your position he will pull you down. Then it shall be in that day,  that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;

  IN THAT DAY, they are seeking to establish their kingdom above the Kingdom of God, but it will not succeed.

  Isaiah 22:21-25 I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt;  I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house. They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the posterity, all vessels of small quantity, from the cups to all the pitchers. In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘the peg that is fastened in the secure place will be removed and be cut down and fall, and the burden that was on it will be cut off; for the LORD has spoken.’”

  Eliakim – the Lord shall Rise, Hilkiah

  Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 praise to God, the exalted one, unmatched in Heaven. They are given a servant (Jesus) to help restore the authority that satan took from Adam. Jesus gained that authority back.

  The house of Jerusalem – is the Jews, the House of Judah, and we are grafted in, so the praisers are not only Jews but also Gentiles. The Key to the house of of David is Jesus, and His authority sits upon his shoulders – we saw that in Isaiah 7 and Isaiah 9. This is the cross. And as a result of that, there is a Glorious throne in Heaven and all will bow knees to him.

  Galatians 3:26-29  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

  ^h]’>
  O Hades, where is your victory?”

  We must believe the truth that Jesus died and forgave ALL our sins, satan wants to keep reminding us of what we did and cause us to feel shame, but it is a lie. Believe the truth of God, not the lies of the enemy.  We looked at how verses in Revelation lined up with Isaiah 22

  Revelation 1:16-20 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,^i]’> the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw^c]’>

  Isaiah 22:22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.

  The only safe place is at the Cross of Jesus, we must know Him.

  Isaiah 24 is speaking about the present day. In the fall of Babylon are parallels with today and what is coming now. For believers the ending is happy, but there are those who have rejected Jesus and the times will be filled with great trials.

  Isaiah 24:1-5 Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste,  distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants. And it shall be: as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

  The church must examine what they are teaching to make sure that it lines up with the Word of God, our lives must line up, for there is no difference between servant and master, people and priests. All must obey God. There is a graphic picture of what will happen in verses 6-23, a long passage but well worth reading.

  Isaiah 24:6-23 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down;  every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction. When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, it shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; for the majesty of the LORD they shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, the name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. From the ends of the earth we have heard songs:  “Glory to the righteous!” But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.”  Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.  And it shall be that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who comes up from the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare; for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again. It shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones, and on the earth the kings of the earth. They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem  and before His elders, gloriously.

  Notice that this describes the rapture and the subsequent events. The intensity of the events are increasing, the tribulation will continue to increase in magnitude. The beginning of the Tribulation was at Pentecost, and Peter spoke to the people and said that this is that which Joel is speaking about. We have been in tribulation, but there is to be a great tribulation that will come.  Once there is a peace treaty signed about Israel that will herald the start of the Great Tribulation. There is no point in scriptures that says that when this happens God will rapture the Church. We are to be ever expectant regarding the rapture but there is no day, hour or event that specifically tells when this will happen.

  Christ is looking for a church without wrinkle, spot or blemish, and He periodically tests to see if the Church is meeting the requirements. In Revelation the Churches met some of the requirements, but not all.

  Jesus can come at any moment and we are to expect His coming, looking for His glorious coming. The rapture is a picture of His coming for His Bride. There is the parable of the 10 virgins, where five were ready with extra oil (Holy Spirit) and five were foolish and not ready. When the groom  comes no one is to know the day or the hour. This is a picture of the Jewish Wedding celebration. In the traditional Jewish wedding, the bride and groom share a cup of wine and she is betrothed to him. The groom goes off to his father’s house to build a home for the bride and the bride makes ready for the groom’s return. He will come unexpectedly when the Father tells him that the necessary preparations are done.

  The Father will lean over to Jesus and tell him to go get His Bride (He has been in Heaven preparing a place for us). We won’t know exactly when this will happen but we are expected to know the times and the seasons. And another parable tells us that two reapers will be in the field, one taken, one left. It is usually done at Midnight, when the groom comes for his bride. Jesus wondered before He went to the cross if He would find faith on the earth. Some people abandon their faith when trials increase.

  Pastor Don wondered if St. Peter walked into the churches of today would he stay or would he have words of correction for them. Would St. Peter call us hypocrites and idol worshippers?

  Persevere, then they overcame. We are not effectively working together as one Body. There is not enough good will and finances to take care of all the disasters through our government. What kind of people are we going to be? Are we going to reach out and help? God is bringing judgment on the earth. When bad things happen on earth and life becomes difficult, some will choose to cope using alcohol and drugs. We need to be ready to speak God’s truth over our life and circumstances, for the power of life and death is in our mouths. To reach out and help. As a church, pulling together we can survive what is coming. Pastor Don said that one person could bring potatoes, another rice, another a few carrots, another a piece of meat, and we can make a stew that can feed many. But we need to work together.

  Revelation 6:9-12 (Key verses) When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold,^f]’> became like blood.

  Those who have been persecuted, will be avenged. In this day and age more people are persecuted for being Christian than the combined total of all previous persecutions.

  While earthquakes have been increasing in frequency and intensity,there has not been an earthquake of the magnitude mentioned in Revelation 6:12, nor has the signs in the sky manifested. There have been local incidents of blood red moons and darkness, but not a world-wide manifestation.

  Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
  

  These will not be isolated incidents, and there will be other signs and happenings.  How bad will it be?

  Revelation 6:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

  Earthquakes with such power that they will rearrange the earth. We have already seen that the recent earthquakes and tsunamis have recently changed weather patterns on the earth. This will be even worse.

  Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders,^g]’> I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

  There will be 144,000 without spot, wrinkle, and blemish.

  Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

  Jesus’ rebukes for the Churches were done out of love.

  Revelation 3:20-22 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

  Jesus is saying to get busy, that He is coming for overcomers.

  Revelation 4:1 (see above) is a rapture verse that comes two chapters BEFORE the seals are broken. The first seal breaks and war breaks out around the globe.  Then will follow scarcity, inflation, pollution and death.

  The devil is not everywhere and these events will have pockets where things are not so bad. But the events will be terrible enough to put people into proper perspective, if they choose to change. What we see as terrible today is a walk in the park for others. We haven’t faced the devastation of Chile or Haiti or India’s persecution in the Hudson Valley. When real persecution comes, will we be able to stand?

  I am praying that we grow in Him to stand when times get tough.

  Heather

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