Blessings Follow Sanctification (4) David Eells 6.16.24

Blessings Follow Sanctification (4)  (audio) David Eells (9/16/24)  The Lord bless you brethren! We've been discovering all of the awesome promises that God will be giving to His people who will follow Him in sanctification and in bearing the fruit of Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold! We left off in Isaiah 62, but I'm going to back up a little bit just to give you the flavor of the text here. (Isa.62:1) For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. Praise be to God! This text is about the Bride, who is typed as Zion or Jerusalem, coming to the full brilliance of the righteousness that the Lord has provided for her.  Since He is making His Bride, wouldn't you make her the very best? In Esther she was given everything she needed to go from the house of the women to the Kings house. (Isa.62:2) And the nations shall see thy righteousness (We have something to look forward to in the days ahead! The world is going to see the Lord's righteousness manifested in His people. Praise be to God!), and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. (And a new name is her new nature, character, and authority.) (Isa.62:3) Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem (or "crown") in the hand of thy God. The Lord is going to finally receive what He planned from the foundation of the world and it's going to be seen by all the nations. Glory be to God!   After all these years of the Church giving such a bad testimony of Christianity, aren't you glad that a great witness and a testimony is going to be brought forth before the world? It will be worth whatever we have to go through to do this. It's sad that the Church has brought such disrepute to the Kingdom of God and to the name of the Lord because the Church has a name that lives, but they're dead! We see this in (Rev.3:1) And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead. Well, the Lord is going to do something about that because He loves us. He wants to restore all things and He wants the Church to be a witness of Him.   Some people think it's going to continue like this and that the saints are going to be only persecuted and killed in the Tribulation, but God's going to prove the power of His salvation and He's going to do it in front of the whole world! He very much wants us to confess Him before men, so He can confess us before the Father. We need to be bold to represent Him to the world and, of course, the Lord is going to restore that boldness.   He's going to pour out His Holy Spirit on His disciples, just as He did in the Book of Acts. (Act.4:29) And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, (30) while thou stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus. (31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Praise God! I can't wait!   (Isa.62:4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken (This is a wonderful promise!); neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (That is, "My delight is in her."), and thy land Beulah (That is, "married."); for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Oh, thank You, Father! What does "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken" mean? I believe there are two ways to understand this "Forsaken." One way is that the Lord appears to have mostly abandoned the Church to their own devices and the other is that the Church has been either driven from, or abandoned, their land.   We know that the Lord hasn't been seen in His power or in the defense of the Church for 2000 years. We've gone through a very dark time, a Dark Ages of the Church, if you will, and most of the Church is still there. The Church hasn't really come back to what was given to us in our Promised Land. We see in (Hos.5:15) I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. "Forsaken" is something that the Church has been experiencing for a long time. No, He hasn't totally forsaken us, but He has permitted the Church to go its own way and do its own thing, which brings nothing but fruitlessness. It doesn't bring the true witness; it doesn't bring the power that was seen by the apostles and the early disciples.   Let's look in (Hos.6:2) After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (3) And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us (In other words, we're not forsaken any longer!) as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. So here we are after two days, after 2000 years from the advent of Christ. Now in Peter he says, (2Pe.3:8) But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The morning of the third day is exactly where we are now and the Lord said He would return to His place until "they acknowledge their offence, and ... in their affliction they will seek me earnestly." We should all be looking forward to this.   Continuing in (Isa.62:4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate.... The "abomination that maketh desolate" (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) was an abomination that caused the Lord to depart from the Israelites and there was an abomination of apostasy that happened shortly after the time of the apostles. Both Jesus and the apostles spoke of it as a "falling away." (2Th.2:1) Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; (2) to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; (3) let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.   A famous prophecy that speaks about the return of Jesus after the Church having been forsaken is found in Micah. (Mic.5:2) But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (3) Therefore will he give them up (In other words, this is a type of "forsaking."), until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.   When the Man-child is brought forth, then we're going to see Jesus again, just exactly as He said: (Joh.16:21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. Jesus said He would return as a Man-child born to a woman and the "woman," as He said, is the Church, His people, His followers. And then all sorrow will disappear in the midst of the joy. (Mic.5:4) And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.  Notice this is not the Lord but the Man-child in whom the Lord lives. He is coming in the strength and name of the Lord. Ezekiel also tells us that Jesus Himself is going to come in a new body of believers to shepherd His flock. (Eze.34:7) Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: (8) As I live, saith the Lord God, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep; (9) therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: (10) Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.   (11) For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. (12) As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep (He is coming in the Man-child world body to do this.); and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. (He will bring His people out of their darkness.) (13) And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.  Many people have died over the years and the Lord lays this at the feet of the apostate Harlot, who hid the truth that sets free! (Rev.17:4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, (5) and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder. And in (Rev.18:24) And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.   We see in Ezekiel that if you don't tell the people the truth, you will be guilty of their blood! (Eze.33:1) And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman; (This would equate to the ministers of today.) (3) if, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; (4) then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. (5) He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.   (6) But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, and the sword come, and take any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. (7) So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.  (8) When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand. (9) Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul. (The Church and its ministers have not told the truth, nor has it received the truth about sin and its true consequences, for a long time. This blood is on the harlots of false Christianity. God is going to face them with the clear Word of God, through the reformers, on this issue and as it was in history they mostly will deny the Word and be guilty of the blood of the people.)   He says, "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken." We're about to come to a time when the Lord is going to return in power through His first-fruits reformers unto His Church. Just think about that. Once again, we are going to see days like those in the Book of Acts and, in fact, we're going to have our own Book of Acts! The Lord told me years ago that everything that happened in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts is going to happen again in these end times, except the cast of characters will be multiplied all around the world. So we're looking forward to a time when God's people are not forsaken of the Lord; we're looking forward to a time when there is no longer desolation because He has returned as the latter rain as Hos 6:1-3 says.   Remember that when Jesus died, the veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38). What does that symbolize? One thing it symbolizes is that God left the box of their religion, which was proven during the following years because those unbelieving Jews were delivered over to the Beast as a Harlot to be destroyed and burned with fire. That's a type and shadow of what's going to happen in our own day. As I mentioned earlier, this "desolation" or "forsakenness" goes beyond their being forsaken of the Lord because he's talking about Zion here. Every time God's people apostatized, they were driven out of their land and driven out of Zion, but we're coming to a place where God is going to deal with that situation. Once more, He's going to bring His people back to their Zion. Once more, there's going to be a Bride in the earth, as there was in Jesus' day. Remember, (Joh.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom.   In (Isa.59:20) And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. (21) And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever. The Spirit that He put upon Jesus, the Man-child, will be upon them in Zion, the Bride! In other words, "a redeemer will come to Zion." This is the return of the Lord after a time of the Church, relatively speaking, has been forsaken.   Again, when I say that, I don't mean the Church has been completely forsaken, but I do mean that we haven't had the anointing, the power, or the works, that they had in the Book of Acts. The Church has departed from the true doctrine, from their promises, that made those early disciples who they were in Christ. Now, in (Isa.54:6) For the Lord hath called thee as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off, saith thy God. You know, the youth of the Church was back in the time of Jesus, as "a wife of youth," and when men departed from true Christianity and became daughters of the Harlot, the Lord "cast off" His "wife of youth," but He's made a promise to return: (Isa.54:7) For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.  So now that we have some foundation, let's go back to the beginning of this chapter. (Isa.54:1) Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate (The deserted) than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Paul used this verse to represent two different attributes of the Church in his day, when he talked about the Galatians being sons of the handmaid. (Gal.4:21) Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? (22) For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman. (23) Howbeit the [son] by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the [son] by the freewoman [is born] through promise.    (24) Which things contain an allegory: for these [women] are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. (25) Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. (They are in bondage to the law as many Christians are. Some to the apostate law of the Church and some to the law of the old covenant.)(26) But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.  (27) For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband. (The desolate larger Church have no fruit of Christ being born in them.) (28) Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. (We hear is the smaller body who are justified by the promises and not laws of religion.) (29) But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, so also it is now. (They mostly speak against the true full gospel.) (30) Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. (31) Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.   The Galatians had gone back under the Law, just as much of the Church today has done. The Church has gone back under the Law, if not the Law of the Old Testament, then under the law of men, but when you do that it says, (Gal.5:4) Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. Notice also that if you go back under the Law, you lose your inheritance because the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman. Paul was exhorting the early Church to repent of going under man's laws and to return to walking by faith in Christ. He was exhorting them to be the sons of the free woman, the one who has the husband.   Paul likened Sarah and her children to the Jerusalem that comes down from above (see also Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:2), which is the Lord's true Bride, and he said the Jerusalem that is fallen was like Hagar and her children, who are in bondage. We see that today, don't we? The same two groups make up what we call the "Church." Many have been deceived into falling under man's laws, instead of submitting to the righteousness of Christ, which is salvation by faith. But what's going to happen? "More are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife." He's promising a great revival here! He's promising that these people, who have been separated from Christ and trapped in the bondage of legalistic religions, are going to come out from them and bear much fruit as in Jesus' day.  Ecc 1:9  That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Continuing on in (Isa.54:2) Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. (3) For thou shalt spread aboard on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Once again, God is restoring spiritual Israel. Those cities that became uninhabited, that became desolate, that became forsaken, are going to be restored, and the most important city, of course, is Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Zion, is the city of the King! (Jer.31:6) For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the hills of Ephraim (Called the fullness of nations.) shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. "Let us go up to Zion," the Bible says (Micah 4:2; Isaiah 2:3; 40:9). (Isa.54:4) Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth....  Yes! There was a great falling away. We, as a people, departed from the Lord and He went to His place until there would come a time of repentance. Well, that's the time we're coming to today, and the thing that's going to bring this repentance is much "shaking." Paul says in (Heb.12:27) And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. (28) Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: (29) for our God is a consuming fire. Burning up the wood, hay and stubble. People will recognize those things that cannot be shaken. They'll recognize the preservation of those things that are of God and they'll recognize the judgment upon those things that are not of God.   Again in (Isa.54:4) Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth; and the reproach of thy widowhood shalt thou remember no more. You know, with some people it was like widowhood because when Jesus the Husband died and His power passed away with the apostles, they departed from Christianity and married "another Jesus". How many times was it that way in the Old Testament? When a strong father figure, a religious leader, or a ruler, died or departed, then the people fell away, too. Righteously-speaking, we are supposed to be walking by faith in Jesus Christ. Walking after somebody you can see is not necessarily the height of Christianity. We have to follow the Lord, Whom we can't see. As we walk by faith in Him, we are becoming sons of God by growing into the image of the Son of God, Who walked after His Father.   (Isa.54:5) For thy Maker is thy husband; the Lord of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. (6) For the Lord hath called thee as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off, saith thy God. The Hebrew word there for "called" is qara and it can mean "bidden," "summoned" or "invited." So God is inviting His people to come back to Him and, of course, He's going to empower them to return by the coming of the Lord Himself in His people. (Isa.54:7) For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. As we read on, we'll see that this is talking about gathering God's people into the ark, the place of safety, because a flood is coming.   (Isa.54:8) In overflowing wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment.... The Bible teaches that the ark sat upon the earth for 40 days after the flood started. (Gen.7:17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. (18) And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. (19) And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. And the flood, of course, was a year of the judgment of God upon the whole world.   (Isa.54:8) In overflowing wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting lovingkindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. (9) For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee (In other words, "My wrath will not be upon those in the ark." The flood destroyed the wicked, but not those who were in the ark.), nor rebuke thee. (Isa.54:10) For the mountains may depart, (Of course, they're covered by the flood.) and the hills be removed....   In our day, we're not talking about a flood of water, but a flood of judgment that will ultimately remove even the mountains and the hills. It says they won't even stand before the shaking of the Lord, the great earthquake. (Eze.38:20) So that the fishes of the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.   (Rev.6:12) And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; (13) and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. (14) And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Every mountain shall fall down, every wall shall fall down; these are judgments that are coming upon the world, but God is going to preserve a people. (Isa.54:10) For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my lovingkindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. All of this is the fruit of their sanctification.   (Isa.54:11) O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will set thy stones in fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. This is a great promise of the Lord! He's going to restore the foundation of His people. So many are afraid of the things coming upon the world, but we need to understand that the judgments which came upon Egypt were not for the purpose of destroying God's people. Those plagues were for the purpose of judging the Egyptians. And, as we've learned, the Egyptian is a type of the old man, and the Egyptian is a type of the Beast. God's purpose is to restore His people and to separate them from bondage to the Egyptian; in other words, to bring them into sanctification. The blessings were given to Israel after they had been separated from the Egyptians (Exodus 8:22-23), but then they were further separated when they were baptized in the Red Sea and went into the wilderness (Exodus 14).   And it wasn't until they were in the wilderness that they received provision out of Heaven (Exodus 16). In these days, those who understand what the Scripture has to say can see that we're headed toward the wilderness, where God's provision is going to come out of Heaven, but first there's going to have to be a separation from the old Egyptian. There's going to have to be sanctification. Remember I mentioned about how being separate from a dead man represents being separate from the old man and baptism represents that the old man is dead in Christ, as Paul said: (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. When we were baptized, we were separated from the old man, the old Egyptian, and, because of that, the blessings could come, the provision could come.   Back to (Isa.54:12) And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones. This is the righteousness and purity, the value of the nature of Jesus Christ manifested in His saints. (Isa.54:13) And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. (14) In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression.... The Bible says that "righteousness delivereth from death." persecution and even the curse. We see this in (Pro.10:2) Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death. (3) The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.   (6) Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. (24) The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted. (28) The hope of the righteous [shall be] gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. (Pro.11:4) Riches profit not in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivereth from death. (5) The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. (6) The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity. (8) The righteous is delivered out of trouble, And the wicked cometh in his stead.   (Pro.11:19) He that is stedfast in righteousness [shall attain] unto life; And he that pursueth evil [doeth it] to his own death. (28) He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf. (31) Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: How much more the wicked and the sinner! We know that the Lord became a curse for us. (2Co.5:21) Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him. He is our righteousness; His righteousness was given unto us, but we also know that the closer we come to manifesting His righteousness, the more we are able to partake of the benefits.   We know we have these things by faith, but we also know we're headed toward the place where in bearing the fruit of them 30-, 60- and 100- fold, we will be able to partake of the benefits that much more! (Isa.54:14) In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. Because of their fear of the things that are coming, some people think that God doesn't have any protection for His people and that's just simply not so. Psalm 91 is true and it's going to be proven of the Lord to be true, but it's only true for those who believe. That's why I exhort everyone to desire earnestly to seek out the truth for yourself. Do not believe in what your Church teaches but believe what the Word of the Lord teaches for we will be judged by that. Amen.  (Isa.54:15) Behold, they may gather together.... And we do know that all the nations will gather together against the Lord and against His anointed. (Psa.2:1) Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? (2) The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, [saying,] (3) Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. (Zec.14:2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle.... But the entire verse reads in (Isa.54:15) Behold, they may gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall because of thee. The Lord brought their enemies against His people many times for the express purpose of destroying the enemy, not His people.   (16) Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the fire of coals, and bringeth forth a weapon for his work.... Why is He saying this? He's saying this because the fire of the Tribulation is in the hand of the Lord and it's going to bring forth nothing but His purpose. Even the enemies out there are going to bring forth nothing but His purpose. For instance, it was obviously Nebuchadnezzar's purpose to throw the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace, but it was God's purpose for them to go there, too, so that they would have their bonds burned off (Daniel 3). We are going into tribulation for the purpose of the burning up of the old self-life, for the purpose of being delivered from that bondage.   Evil doesn't prosper for evil's sake. In other words, (Rom.8:28) ... we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose. You see, God works all things together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. And in (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end; Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Even the wicked serve God's purpose; they live to be a part of this fiery furnace that's going to burn up the wood, hay and stubble, and leave the gold, silver and precious stones. Does that prosper evil? Not at all. As a matter of fact, as He says here, evil is going to prosper God's Kingdom.   (Isa.54:16) Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the fire of coals, and bringeth forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. So what does the "waster" destroy? The waster is going to destroy the Harlot. We like to look at the Harlot as someone who is totally separate from us, but, in fact, we're being delivered from the Harlot. God's people came out of Babylon, representing the Harlot, and went to Zion. Every one of us is being delivered from the nature of the Harlot. We're being delivered of that which is Babylonish in our life, that which is worldly, that which causes us to be in agreement with the world.   We are coming out of the Harlot, even though many people will point at those in apostasy and say, "It's them! It's them! They're the Harlot!" Well, that's true, but to the extent you've departed from apostasy and come into holiness, to the extent you've come into the land of promise and are standing upon the promises, to that extent you're delivered of being the Harlot. (Isa.54:17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.... We can see the nations are being gathered together against the saints now, but how many of us understand that it's not their purpose that's being fulfilled? It's God's purpose that's being fulfilled. So we can give thanks always for all things. Throughout the Scriptures, God gathered the nations against His people when they were in apostasy and it was for the purpose of bringing a crucifixion, of bringing a death to the old man, and of putting the fear of the Lord back in them.   God is in absolute control; there's nothing left to chance down here concerning His children. He works all things according to His will. (Eph.1:11) In whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. What does "all things" leave out? Nothing! As John said, (Joh.3:27) ... A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. What evil can prosper itself? None! It's not possible. We need to remember that because it will take the fear out of what the enemy would like to put in our hearts. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper," not even this weapon, which He has formed.   God is the One Who works all things after the counsel of His will and He works all things together for our good. This is why He says what He says here. Nothing that is evil will prosper itself; it can only prosper you and me. What we need to do is cooperate with God in this process. We need to humble and deny ourselves, take up our cross willingly and let the Beast nail us there spiritually. We know that our cross is for the death of self, not necessarily for the death of this body, but the two can be very well connected if we don't cooperate in the death-of-self. (Isa.54:17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness which is of me, saith the Lord.   So that's true of the righteous. But He also said of the apostates that they are "as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth when she is cast off," but He went on to say, "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee." I know that some people look at the Church today and, because they are not real familiar with the Scriptures, they think, "Well, this is the way it's supposed to be." No. There's great apostasy out there and it's a great tragedy that the Church is not living up to, nor receiving the benefits of, those who are sanctified. It's a great tragedy that they don't cooperate with the process of sanctification. Sanctification is basically the death of the old man, in order that the new man may be born and live in you. Sanctification is (Col.1:27) ... Christ in you, the hope of glory. Wolves are ruling over God's flock and many tares. We can see the Church is in a state of great falling away.   Yet God says in (Isa.62:4) Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: (In these days a first fruits is returning to the Lord to rebuild Jerusalem the Bride.) but thou shalt be called Hephzibah ("My delight is in her."), and thy land Beulah ("Married"); for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. We are no more going to be termed "forsaken," no more going to be termed "desolate," but "Married!" And, of course, in this case He's talking about Zion. He's not talking about the other cities of the land of Judah or the land of the northern 10 tribes; He's talking about the Bride. The Bride is sanctified, separated from the world, the most beautiful of all the virgins of the Kingdom. He said, "My delight is in her," and thy land shall be married."   Now here's a verse that I dare say has confused an awful lot of people, including myself, but I feel the Lord has given me the explanation. The verse is very confusing and it's meant to be that way. For those people who say dogmatically that everything in the Scriptures has to be literally true in the letter and that God doesn't hide things in parables that need to be interpreted, it's really hard to read this: (Isa.62:5) For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee.... First of all, in the natural, that would be incest! God would never be in favor of that. So there has to be a spiritual interpretation here because God seems to be making a promise here.   (Isa.62:5) For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee.... He's talking about the Bride! Let me say something about the sons. The only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, came so that many, many sons could be born in His image. He is God's charagma; He is God's "stamp" that recreates Himself as an image in others who receive the seed of His Word. He is God's "mark." In these days, many sons of God are going to be manifested. Paul said that all of creation is awaiting this, so that the creation will be delivered from the "bondage of corruption." (Rom.8:19) For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.   This is God's plan. Though the sons of God are born of the Church they can then sow the seed of God back into the Church and bear fruit. In the letter, in the natural, that would be incest, and so the only way this parable can be taken is in the Spirit. Jesus Himself was born of a virgin in Israel, the Church and turned and sowed the seed of the Word in Israel and in His mother who also was saved and received the Holy Spirit. The Man-child sons of our day is born of a virgin, who has not received the seed of man, and is a member of the Woman Church. The sons are, in turn, going to bring that Woman into the wilderness to sow the seed of God in Her so that She bears the fruit of Christ.   Notice also that He says "so shall thy sons marry thee," instead of "son." That's because this is talking about what's going to be fulfilled in our day. The ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah chapters 61 and 62 wasn't in Jesus' day; it will be in our day. Many prophecies are fulfilled multiple times and the last fulfillment is usually the greatest. Jesus and little Israel were signs of something much bigger that God was going to do worldwide. Today, the Church, His New Testament spiritual Israel, is all over the world, and the Man-child who is coming today is a corporate body of the first-fruits. Although they will be born of the virgin in the Church, they, in turn, will sow the seed of God back into the virgin and larger Church. They will raise up the Bride and the larger Church to bear the fruit of the Word.   Paul said, (1Co.4:15) For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel. In other words, he was a father. But Paul didn't sow his own seed; he was sowing the seed of God, which is the Word of God. The only way we can be a father to the Church is to sow the seed of God; otherwise, we're just another dead, apostate religion.   Again in (Isa.62:5) For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. The bride here, as we can see in the text, is speaking about Zion, which is going to be restored. We are coming out of Babylon and we're going back to Zion. I believe the first-fruits are headed there even now and that they are just about to enter the city. In type, they will restore Zion and rebuild the Temple. All those parables from the Lord that were fulfilled in the letter by natural Israel are now going to be fulfilled in the Spirit by New Testament Israel and the Jerusalem that's coming down from above. They are going to be fulfilled by the regenerate New Jerusalem that's born out of Heaven, not the Jerusalem that is corrupt and fallen in the earth. They are going to be fulfilled by the regenerate Bride.   (Isa.62:6) I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem (Again, that's the "bride" of verse 5.); they shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that are the Lord's remembrancers, take ye no rest, (7) and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Yes, there are watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. There are true leaders whom God is raising up and God wants them to speak the Word of faith. He wants them to claim what He has promised concerning Jerusalem. God is going to use the faith of His people to restore everything that's been taken away from them.   We saw previously that the Lord spoke about those who were disciples of Jesus Christ coming to that Heavenly Jerusalem. (Heb.12:22) But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, (23) to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (24) and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.   But they left the position of being under the authority of their King David and went out into the world where they were taken captive by Babylon. Now there is a restoration being done by God Himself. He's restoring His Jerusalem, but this time it's in the spirit and not in the letter because this is a spiritual Kingdom. "King David" is still at the head and that's our Lord Jesus; He is the ruler in Jerusalem, the Bride, and Jerusalem is going to be the ruler over the rest of His Kingdom. God is going to cause Jerusalem to be a praise in the earth and He says, "Don't give Me any rest. Keep reminding Me of what I said to you, of what I promised to you." God is going to use that faith to restore everything. Praise be to God!   Continuing in (Isa.62:8) The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies (Who is He speaking about? He's speaking about the Bride, the one who is sanctified. What makes us members of the Bride is sanctification.); and foreigners shall not drink thy new wine, for which thou hast labored: (Isa.62:9) but they that have garnered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have gathered it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary. Here's another benefit of the Kingdom! The Bride will not be plundered anymore.   He told them in (Mal.3:11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. He would no more destroy the fruits of their labors. We know, (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.... God put all of our curse upon Jesus, but we have to walk by faith and we have to walk in sanctification to receive that. (1Jn.3:21) If our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. This is the promise being fulfilled here. These are the days when God is going to fulfill His promise that our enemies, the old man, the Beast, the Harlot, the nations, will no longer be able to plunder God's people. Praise God!  (Isa.62:10) Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up an ensign for the peoples. What is this "highway" that He's preparing? It's the "highway of holiness." You know, there are only two places that the Bible speaks about where the Beast cannot go and those places are the highway that leads to Zion and Zion itself. If a person is walking in what they know, then they are on the highway because they are not in willful sin. What is sin? (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. So a person who is walking in what he knows is headed to Zion. They are seeking out God, they are desiring after the truth; and what does God say? (Isa.35:9) No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon; they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.   If you are walking by faith in Him and you are on the highway of holiness, there is provision, there is protection. (Isa.11:16) And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria; like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. He's talking about coming out of Egypt, coming out of the Assyrian captivity, coming out of Babylon. Notice he said there was a highway leaving there, a highway of holiness that separates us from the Beast, that separates us from the world, that separates us from our old life, which is a part of the Beast and a member of the world.   (Isa.35:8) And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but is shall be for [the redeemed:] the wayfaring men (That's the man on the well-traveled road, the wide road, the broad road.), yea fools, shall not err therein. So no fools will travel this road. (Isa.35:9) No lion shall be there (The Beast won't be there!), nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon; they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk [there]: (10) and the ransomed of the Lord (A "ransom," of course, is when a price has been paid to deliver somebody from bondage.) shall return, and come with singing unto Zion. So we see that this highway leads away from Babylon, from Egypt, from Assyria; or, in other words, out from the bondage of captivity to the old man and the corporate beast it goes to Zion.   As long as you are on the highway, the Beast is not a threat, but when you get off the highway, he's there like a mad dog ready to devour you. The word there for "holiness" in verse 8 is qodesh and it's translated as "sacred," "hallowed," "consecrated," or "sanctified." You see, all the benefits come from our sanctification. Hallelujah! This is good news, folks. We know there is a place of safety, a place of deliverance, a place of provision in God and it comes from walking in sanctification. So many people have discounted the benefits of sanctification; they've covered it up with some kind of "greasy grace." They say, "Oh, we're not saved by works, we're saved by grace." That's true, but grace is what sanctifies, grace is what provides, grace is what delivers, grace is what sanctifies us from this world.   Grace is not just God's forgiveness, but they seem to think that's what grace is and that it doesn't provide anything concrete. You just receive forgiveness, so you can continue to be a sinner who keeps on asking for forgiveness. That's not grace at all! And that won't deliver you, either! It won't deliver you from the Beast. Back to (Isa.62:10) Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up an ensign for the peoples. Don't let anything get in the way; don't put anything between yourself and Zion. I remember when my good friend Bolivar said years ago that the Lord spoke to him, "I am Zion!" That is so true. Zion represents that place of holiness; it represents abiding in Christ. Paul called Zion, (Heb.12:23) ... the spirits of just men made perfect.   (Isa.62:11) Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him.... What is the ultimate fulfillment of our salvation? We have been saved in spirit, we are being saved in soul and we are going to be saved in body. When the Lord comes, His reward is with Him. There are going to be some people who are never going to die because they have walked in holiness and the Lord is going to give them that new body, that new life.   (Isa.62:11) Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and his recompense before him. (12) And they shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken. "Not forsaken." Wow! Praise God! Zion hasn't been sought for, it hasn't been sought after. People have been content with their apostate religions, but there is a place of holiness, there is a place of walking in the steps of the Lord Jesus Christ, a place where His provision will meet every need. This place in Zion will be sought out by those who understand God's plan. Others are quite satisfied to play in religion, to play with one of the daughters of the Harlot. God has a great plan. He's going to restore His people. He's going to deliver His people. He's going to separate His people. And He's going to bring to pass all these promises! He said, "Don't cease to remind Me of this." Glory be to God!     Printer-friendly version

 

 

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