It’s time to bring our study to a close. We do so with well known passages from Isaiah 63, 65, and 66.  At the beginning I warned you this would take a while, and it has.  13 weeks to be exact.  The finish will not disappoint you.

Isaiah 63:1-6. God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson?  Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength?

“It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.”

Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?

“I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart,and the year of my redemption has come.

I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.” (Isaiah 63:1-6)

Looking Eastward, Isaiah saw with His mind’s eye a powerful figure striding resolutely toward the Holy City. He challenged the figure, and the response could only have come from the Lord.  Who else speaks in righteousness? Who else is strong enough to save us?

And yet His garments are obviously stained red as if someone had drenched them in wine.  It’s the blood of His enemies.  Standing alone against them He has defeated them all, powered by the wrath He has held in check for so long, now released in its full measure.

John saw Him too, and described Him this way:

His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (Rev. 19:12-13)

 

Today Edom is called Southern Jordan, and Bozrah is about 25 miles east of the southern end of the Dead Sea.  Its Greek name is Petra, and it will be the refuge of the believing remnant of Israel.  Two thousand years ago the Lord Jesus warned them to flee into the mountains as soon as they learned of the Abomination of Desolation. (Matt. 24:15)  When it happens He’ll take them there, as if on eagle’s wings. (Rev. 12:14) He’ll protect them there for 3 ½ years, and will defeat the enemy forces that are arrayed against them.

 

Isaiah 65:17-25. New Heavens and a New Earth
“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)

John used this verse to open Revelation 21, and because of an incorrect understanding people have assumed for centuries that it applies to eternity. They’ve overlooked 2 details that in my opinion place Rev. 21-22:6 at the beginning of the Millennium, not at its end.

The first detail is that the context of Isaiah 65:17-25 is clearly millennial. People are living and dying,  time is being measured and the effects of sin are still evident in their lives.  The phrase “new heavens and a new earth” is intended to show us that all the effects of the curse have been removed, and the creation has been restored to its original condition, both physically and spiritually.  (Jesus spoke of this time, calling it the restoration of all things, in Matt. 19:28.) And the second is that Rev. 20:7-15 is what we would call a parenthetical insert that John used to reveal the ultimate destiny of Satan and all of mankind’s unbelievers while he was on the subject of the second death.

Briefly, at the end of the Millennium Satan will be released from his 1,000 year prison term and will mount up a final rebellion that’s immediately crushed. He’ll be thrown into the Lake of Fire to join the anti-Christ and the false prophet who will already be there.(Rev. 19:20)  Then the unsaved dead from all ages will be raised up for judgment, and they’ll be thrown into the Lake of Fire. As if to prove the point, John concluded the passage by saying that the Lake of Fire is the second death.

Then he began Rev. 21 with the quote from Isaiah 65:17 to show that he was going back to the beginning of the Millennium to give us details of our home, the New Jerusalem.  Rev. 22:1-5 follows with a summary of Ezekiel 47:1-12, which gives us a glimpse of  life in Israel’s  Kingdom Age on Earth.  The Bible, which chronicles the Age of Man, ends at the end of the Millennium and offers no specific description of Eternity.  It only says that there is one.

The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Here’s God’s promise that in addition to making everything in creation new, all of the misery and suffering of this age will be erased from their minds, along with the memories of lost loved ones who refused to believe the truth and be saved. Anything they carry in their heads that would impede the steady flow of peace and joy in their lives will be taken away.  It’s a little like virus infected software being deleted and then reinstalled to work the way it was originally designed to. (This will have already happened for us, at the Rapture).

Now let’s read the rest of the passage and see how Isaiah saw life on Earth in Israel’s Kingdom Age.

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.  I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

“Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years;  he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people;  my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.

They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:18-25)

The phrase “dust will be the serpent’s food” is reminiscent of Genesis 3:14 and tells us that out of the entire creation, only the serpent will retain the effects of the curse God pronounced upon him in the garden.

Isaiah’s contemporary Micah added a few details to this description of uninterrupted peace and prosperity.

 

Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. All the nations may(now) walk in the name of their gods;  (but) we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:4-5. I’ve inserted the words “now” and “but” to give you a better understanding of Micah’s intent.)

It was the Lord’s reference to Micah 4:4, by the way, that caused Nathaniel to exclaim upon first meeting Him,“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”. (John 1:47-49) In effect, Jesus  had said that He “saw” the perfected Nathaniel in the Millennium.  Only God could do such a thing.

Peace For His People, Fury For His Foes
For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.  As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. (Isaiah 66:12-15)

If you’re comparing this study with current trends in the Middle East, you realize that the Lord’s plan for Israel is the opposite of what the world is pushing for. This is because the world has been duped into adopting Satan’s plan, which calls for Israel’s demise.  It will take the full measure of the Lord’s fury to convince them that they’re on the wrong side of the issue.  By some accounts, fully half of the world’s post rapture population will die in the process.

“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD. “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:22-24)

In his book entitled “Biblical Basis For Modern Science”  Henry Morris wrote, “When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to enter their own life cycle.”

As the mother died, she excreted a red fluid that was used to make the crimson dye used in Biblical times.  This makes a powerful illustration of what the Lord has done for us.  He attached Himself to the cross, and shed his blood there as He died.  Because He did we can be born again and receive eternal life. It’s interesting that in Psalm 22:6 David quoted the Lord calling Himself a worm and not a man.

Perhaps Isaiah had this in mind as He wrote his last verses.  If so He was saying that those who rebel against God do so by not accepting His death as payment for their sins.  The “worm” they choose instead will not (can not) die for them, and there’s no other way for them to be born again to escape the unquenchable fire.  They’re physically dead, but their spirits have not been released, so they’re trapped in their dead corpses, tormented by the fire.

It’s no surprise that we learn more about the Millennium from Isaiah than we did from the chapter John devoted to it in the Revelation.  It’s not called Israel’s Kingdom age for nothing.  It’s on Earth and it’s for Israel. And that’s another good reason to take the Church off the planet to the New Jerusalem. This way each can enjoy its own destiny without distracting from the other.

From John 14:1-3 we learn that the Lord Jesus was going away to prepare a place for us, and would come back to take us to be with Him in Heaven, where He is.   From Ezekiel 43:7 we learn that God would someday return to Israel to live among His chosen people on Earth, where they are.  Both prophecies are true, making it clear that the Church and Israel are different entities with different origins and different destinies.  To say that one replaced the other is to deny the obvious truth of the Scriptures.  It’s my closing prayer for you that this study on the End Times According to Isaiah has resolved this beyond all doubt. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

On the night Jesus was born, the Parthians (remnant of Persia and forerunners of today’s Iran) and the Romans (forerunners of the End Times Kingdom of the anti-Christ) were at odds with each other. The Syrians didn’t like the Jews and had tried unsuccessfully to conquer them, their attempt having been thwarted by the Maccabean revolt. Israel’s sovereignty had all but vanished, and the nation’s very existence was in doubt. Their King didn’t have the country’s best interests at heart, and many questioned the legitimacy of his government.

There was internal strife among the Jewish leadership too. Liberals were calling for accommodation with their neighbors while conservatives pointed to scriptural mandates requiring them to protect the sanctity of the Promised Land.

Because of Daniel’s prophecies, more and more Israelites believed the Messiah was due, although there was no agreement on what He was going to do when He got here. Most just wanted Him to kick their enemies out of the country, restore their sovereignty, and bring them peace. But it had been a long time since anyone had heard from God and the majority no longer believed in His promises.

The fact that things are still the same 2000 years later demonstrates man’s intransigence, not God’s impotence. In offering His Kingdom to all who would accept it, the Lord was not surprised when there were relatively few takers, and almost none among the leadership of any involved country. It was simply another chapter in man’s sorry history of stubborn self-determination.

He knew they would reject Him, and in fact had even said that He hadn’t come to bring peace to the Earth, but a sword. (Matt. 10:34) The only peace He was bringing was a personal one between God and those individuals who would accept it. (Colossians 1:19-20) Sadly, most wouldn’t.

No. He knew that even though the Jews prayed for their Messiah to come, what they wanted was a warrior who would drive out the Romans and restore them to their former position of prominence in the world. Not believing they were sinners, they saw no need for a Savior. Even His disciples, after three years of His teaching, and personal observation of His death and resurrection would ask Him, “Lord, are you now going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

Peace On Earth? Not So You’d Notice
So where did the “Peace on Earth, good will toward men” idea come from? It was the salutation the angelic choir used in addressing Earth on the night Jesus was born. (Luke 2:14) It’s similar in meaning to “Shalom Alechem”, a traditional Hebrew greeting that means “peace be with you.” It wasn’t meant to announce the beginning of a new era of peace. That could only happen after the sin problem that had estranged man from God had been resolved. And if you read the original language carefully, you’ll find that Luke 2:14 literally means, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will.” It was the expression of a desire that those whose hearts were right would be at peace that night.

And how about His title, Prince of Peace? That comes from Isaiah 9:6. But again, look carefully at the wording of this prophetic passage, and see what’s happened and what hasn’t.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Only two parts of this prophecy have actually been fulfilled. The Child was born and the Son was given. All the rest awaits a future fulfillment. Since the prophecy is sequential, before He can be hailed as the Prince of Peace, He must assume His position as head of Earth’s government, and that doesn’t happen until well into the Book of Revelation.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15) Having declared the Earth His Kingdom, the Lord must now take possession of it. Yes, He had created it. But then He gave dominion over it to Adam, who promptly lost it to Satan, who’s held it ever since. Jesus redeemed it back at the cross, and now begins the long awaited action to re-possess it.

The final series of Revelation judgments, called the Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath, are found in Revelation 16-18, and describe the Lords’ victorious battle to wrest control of Planet Earth from the usurper Satan. Then come Revelation 19, His Glorious Return, and Revelation 20, the inauguration of His reign as King of the Earth, head of its government. Then his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

In the mean time, we know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19) And as long as Satan is in control, the world will never voluntarily choose to welcome our King, any more than it did on the night He was born.

What Happens Now?
So one day when God’s perfect time has come, He’ll whisk His church away to our hiding place and begin establishing by force that which He previously offered by choice. He’ll do this over a seven year period of time to give those who missed joining the church every possible opportunity to repent. But again, most will mistake His kindness for weakness and resist.

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” (Psalm 2:1-6)

Those who believe they’re running things, but are really puppets of the usurper, will discover the enormous error of their ways. Having scoffed and sneered at the helpless Lamb of God they’ll come face-to-face with the all powerful Lion of Judah.

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:10-12)

When His patience is finally exhausted, it doesn’t take much to put an end to things.
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1)

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. (Zechariah 14:8-9)