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Sunday, April 16, 2017

The Messiah's Great Victory

The Great Victory the Messiah Brings

Book of Isaiah 25


As Christians it seems that sometimes as we read and try to understand Bible prophecy, we come away with more questions than we have answers but in reality we need to spend more time in the Scriptures and we certainly must not listen to old wives fables and vain things that can amount to nothing nor to anyone who has already rejected the Word of God!

In truth, we need to see the fulfilled prophecies of God and how they relate to Bible history and our own history and then, we can begin to understand what God is saying. Prophecies that have been fulfilled are now behind us, history!

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

The thing we should clearly understand is, the fact that in the Lord Jesus Christ there can be no loss at all, and the other side of that is, outside of the Lord Jesus Christ there can be no long term victory at all!

All things we will see, even in our own future, will reveal the plans and the purposes of God, if we pay attention and be obedient to the Word of God!

If we keep the main thing, the main thing, we will realize that God has a plan and He just wants us all to be part of His plan!

It should be clear to us that the Lord wants us to know about Him or He would have never revealed Himself to us, so He certainly will never try to hide anything from us!

We should also understand that the "terribleness" of God is another very good reason to place our trust in Him!

What should we know of those who continue to follow in the works of Satan?

Isa 24:5  The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 
Isa 24:6  Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

Isa 24:17  Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. 

Isa 24:19  The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 
Isa 24:20  The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 

These are all the results of works of Satan!

God does not do bad things, God only does "righteous" things!

But we should clearly understand, it is a righteous thing for God to chastise His believers!
It is a righteous thing for God to "Judge" all unbelievers and destroy them out of His land!

The non-believer may see these things as unrightous but if they repented it would changed their attitude!

When the Messiah returns, all those who have rejected Him will only be able to imagine a world that is coming to an end but in reality it will only be the Lord doing what He said He would do to bring new life into this world for a period of time of at least 1000 years and after this eternity!

The Church will already be in Heaven, our victory won, but the Church will then return with the Lord at His Second Coming.

It is during this time of destruction known simply as "Jacob's Trouble"(The Seven Years of Tribulation) that the Jews will repent and return to the Lord and that victory is soon to be in the making.

And God's redeemed Jews, will then sing a new song:

Let's Begin:

*****Isa 25:1  O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 

We should be able to see that the relationship of Jehovah to His people has now become personal!

God is seeking a close and personal relationship with each of us and with all of His creation!

God's people, the Jews will have realized that the Lord has done exactly what He said He would do.

They will realize what Moses had said, was true.
They will realize what all the prophets had said, was true.
They will realize that all those Psalms they had sung regularly in their worship services, were are true.
They will then realize, that the Lord Jesus Christ is exactly who He said He was!

They will connect their selfishness with the history of their own nation all these years and repent and return to the Lord!

Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 

Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 

The world is fast approaching the 8 Billion mark in population but at the end of Jacob's Trouble only a few will have survived. Even if it is Millions it will be a far cry from those Billions!

Those that remain will praise the name of the Lord and we already know that Jehovah God will at this time, fulfill all the promises He made to the Jews!

There may also be a few Gentiles who had never gotten the opportunity to hear the "Gospel" and accept it or to reject it, they will then at that time also get that opportunity.

Most all those, probably all those, who have rejected the "Gospel" during the "Church Age" will be destroyed, as in the days of Noah!

1Th 2:15  Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 
1Th 2:16  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: "for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost".

Many prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled and are now history but many more are to come, though most of them concern the promises to the nation of Israel.

The truth is, whether we know true faith or not, God will always be "faithful" to Himself and to all of His Scriptures!

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

The next truth is, that it is impossible for God to lie! So the Scriptures are all the truth. We must rightly divide the Word of God! We must understand clearly who the Lord is talking too, while also realizing that we are to learn from all the Word of God.

Heb 6:17  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 
Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, "in which it was impossible for God to lie", we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 

It boils down to, do you believe what God says or not? The Bible is "an all or nothing book"!

The "Bread of Life" is not some cafeteria style plan, to pick and choose the meal that suits you and then reject the part you do not like!

2Ti 3:16  "All scripture" is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

By the end of the Tribulation Period, the world will have witnessed the truth of God in full view and those that are left will be in agreement, "O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee".

*****Isa 25:2  For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
Isa 25:3  Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. 

As often as we see the term Babylon in the books of the prophets, we should clearly understand that in prophecy this Babylon is not just some ancient city that is to be destroyed but in reality it is the seat of the Antichrist!

It is the seat of his false religion.
It is the seat of this world he has influenced.

The seat of the Antichrist will be destroyed by the end of the 7 years of Tribulation, also called the time of "Jacob's Trouble".

Jer 51:37  And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. 

A clear understanding can be realized in the Book of Revelation chapter 18.

In fact the old city of Babylon and Nineveh stand in that condition today!

Babylon was the metropolis of the pagan world and God has destroyed it as He said! It has never been rebuilt in that same location!

But Babylon, the seat of the Antichrist, is the same world Satan used to entice the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 
Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 
Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

This is the seat of the Antichrist, the spirit of the Babylon of our day, that will cease to exist when the Lord returns!

Isa 13:19  And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 
Isa 13:20  It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. 

One day in the near future in our world where the spirit of Babylon has become the seat of the Antichrist, there will be a sigh of relief at the fall of this sinful and evil thing that has brought ruin to God's creation.

What glorious thing will happen because of this ruin?

These same Jews who will have already witnessed the "Rapture" of the Church will at that time also witness the fall of the Antichrist.

The Jews will then be stirred up to worship the Lord and see the promises to Abraham and to David fulfilled, but even much more than that.

Psa 66:3  Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 
Psa 66:4  All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. 

Even many Gentiles will repent of their sins and begin worship the Lord!

This will not included those that have rejected the Lord in the Church Age for they will have all been destroyed!

*****Isa 25:4  For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 
Isa 25:5  Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. 

We certainly may not understand all the things in the time of "Jacob's Trouble" but we can be sure there are those who are poor and in need through no fault of their own. They may have been led astray or many other things but God will never totally forsake such people until He as allowed His own time of repentance!

Even today God feeds this entire world and only a small portion of this world truly loves Him!

When the Jews would not accept the "Bread of Life", the Word of God, God still fed them with the "Manna" from Heaven!

Isa 41:17  When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 

But God always warned them:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

So in reality there will be many souls saved out of the Great Tribulation!

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Notice, most of all of the new Gentile believers after the "rapture" of the Church, had been murdered for their beliefs!

BUT, God will have silenced all those who have made such great noise against Christianity!

The persecution of believers is sometimes compared to dry heat as it has parched the grasses but God will bring a cloud that will provide shade and even moisture as He protects those who have not had the opportunity to know Him!

It is true, that the goal of the "Gospel" is to reach every individual before this time arrives but we can also know that this may not actually take during the Church Age.

The "branch" of the "terrible ones", is any "power" that those who are in direct support of the Antichrist, had over God's people. This "branch" represents the false power of Satan which in fact was no power at all, at least over the Messiah.

Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 

God will always bring down the enemies of His people in every age!

*****Isa 25:6  And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 

This mountain would be Mount Zion but it could also be a "type" of the Church, as all God's people, Jew and Gentile alike will sit down together to the "the Great Supper in God's Kingdom".

Luk 14:16  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 
Luk 14:17  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 
Luk 14:18  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 
Luk 14:19  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 
Luk 14:20  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 
Luk 14:21  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 
Luk 14:22  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 
Luk 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 
Luk 14:24  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. 

We must also realize that the difference in providing food for the needy, compared to providing the "Gospel" to the lost, is like a meal that has become a "feast"!

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

Truth, mercy, assurance, pardon, peace, and "Grace" become a feast of fat things.

The doctrines of God are well refined and abundant in Spirit and in purity and cetainly in holiness!

Jer 31:12  Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. 
Jer 31:13  Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. 

God will have put down all the evil in this world!

*****Isa 25:7  And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 
Isa 25:8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 

What is that covering that is cast over all people? It is the vail that Satan has cast over the human heart.

When the Five books of Moses were read, the veil was upon the heart of God's people, not upon Moses.

2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 

When the Old Testament was read in the time of Christ Jesus, the veil was upon the heart of most all the Jews, not upon Christ Himself. In fact Christ removed that veil of the eyes but the veil of Satan remained cast over the hearts of the unbelievers.

2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 

It is only in those who have repented and returned to the Lord, that this veil has been removed!

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 

What is that veil? The veil of human depravity and/or natural corruption, the veil of blindness, caused by Satan!

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 
Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 
Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

At the end of the Tribulation Period, there will also be a veil of sorrowing.

We know that the Jews would cover their heads when they felt shame and were confounded. They will now feel ashamed and sorrowful for having rejected the Lord Jesus Christ all these years!

Jer 14:2  Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. 
Jer 14:3  And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. 
Jer 14:4  Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. 

In fact the veil of sorrow and shame, will have covered all nations that have survived this terrible time of God's Wrath!

God's plan also includes removing the one thing that every human fears and that is "death".

What did God say to Adam?

Gen 2:16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 
Gen 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof "thou shalt surely die". 

Adam had never heard the word "die" but the consequences of his actions have remained with all humans, all animals, and even all God's creation from that point forward.

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Rom 8:22  "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now". 
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Death has always been a covering of gloom over all people!

Death will be conquered for all God's people at the Second Coming of Christ Jesus, the Messiah!

There probably have been more tears poured out over the sorrow of death than any other thing in the human life.

SO, What God has done for the Church will be improved on, when the Messiah returns!

1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 
1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 
1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 
1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In God's New World, there will never be one tear shed because of death. In fact there will no tears in Heaven after this point forever more.

In Heaven there be nothing to cry about except maybe tears of "JOY".

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

We should also be clear, all those tears that have been shed in grief and sorrow, because of the work of Satan, will not have been shed in vain!
Psa 30:4  Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 
Psa 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, "but joy cometh in the morning". 

We hear a lot about guarantees in this world but none are as important as this one that says "for the Lord hath spoken it"!

When the Lord speaks, His words are always guaranteed to be true!

There will be no one left who will rebuke God's people, there will be no one left who will not love the Jew!

Why?

*****Isa 25:9  And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in "his salvation".

You see, God has only offered His free gift of salvation and all anyone has ever had to do was to receive God's gift!

As the nation of Israel lives in a world of hate and as they see a world on the verge of total collapse, they will then see Jehovah God, the One they have waited on all their years, returning according to the Scriptures!

Zep 3:14  Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 
Zep 3:15  The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. 
Zep 3:16  In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. 
Zep 3:17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. 

What had Jesus, the Messiah, preached to the Jews?

Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 
Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

We see that Jesus was actually referring to His return!

*****Isa 25:10  For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. 
Isa 25:11  And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. 
Isa 25:12  And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust. 

Moab was founded by the incestuous son of Lot and his own daughter.

What had Moses prophesied?

Num 24:17  I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Num 24:19  Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. 

The fact is, that in this instance, Moab is in fact "a type" of all Satan's children.

Jer 48:29  We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. 
Jer 48:30  I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it. 

No doubt "Moab" in "type" also represents all the foes of Israel that remain and all the foes of Israel will be trodden down under the feet of the Messiah.

Mar 12:36  For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 

A dunghill was a heap of compost. The compost pile was increased by the addition of straw, which means the straw was left to rot in the dunghill!

When the Messiah returns, His enemies will be no more than that straw that was trampled into the dunghill and many will be left to just rot.

The truth is, at the return of the Messiah, the enemies of God can no more resist the power of God than water can resist a good swimmer!

Once the enemies of Israel, the enemies of the Church, all these the enemies of the Messiah are removed, there will be no opposition to God left on this earth.

No persecution.
No need for martyrs.
No mocking of God's people.

Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 
2Co 10:6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 

God does not ask many things of us!

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 
Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 
Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

The basics are; Love God above all else, Love each other, Study the Bible, attend a Bible believing Church, and most important of all "Have Faith"!

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Sunday, April 9, 2017

God's Mercy Toward Israel

God's Mercy Toward Israel

Book of Isaiah 14

If we study the Book of Isaiah chapters 13-19 we would see beyond any reasonable doubt that Jehovah God is in charge of all the nations of this world. This does not mean that God causes evil governments, it is the people themselves that cause these things to happen.
In the prophecies of Isaiah we see one nation after another receive the rebuke of the Lord for their rebellion against Jehovah God and for their sinful lifestyles.

We see nations that trust in their riches and reject God.

We see nations that trust in their military might and reject God.

The truth is, in the day of God's "Judgment" none of these things can save them, all these things will be useless! In fact God will "Judge" individuals just as harsh as He will "Judge" these nations!

Remember nations do not end up in Hell, people do!

God is seeking a close personal relationship with each and every individual and then for those individuals to gather together to change this world according to the Word of God.

The hope for salvation lies in "repentance"!

When the Lord returns for the Second Time to set up His Kingdom up upon this Earth, only those who are willing to turn to Him to worship Him alone will escape His final wrath.

The Church will already be in Heaven at this time!

These prophecies of Isaiah were not just for those nations of that day, but are for all people in every age!

Throughout these prophecies God offers the opportunity for salvation but only according to His Word of truth. No one can enter the Kingdom of God by their own personal rules!

The truth is, the Word of God is never bound by time!

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

So let's begin:

*****Isa 14:1  For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. 

There is nothing confusing about this Scripture! So why is it so rejected by this world we live in?

When the Lord returns to end the "7 years of Tribulation" and the "time of Jacob's trouble", He will then have mercy on Jacob.
The name Jacob refers to Jacob "the supplanter" but who would at that time make supplication to the Lord.

Hos 12:2  The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him. 
Hos 12:3  He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 
Hos 12:4  Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; 
Hos 12:5  Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.

This will take place immediately and during the time, after God has put down the false religion and the false economies of this world:

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 

Isa 21:9  And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. 

The false religions inspired by Satan have fallen. (Every religion that has rejected Christ and the Word of God)(is fallen)
The false economies and governments inspired by Satan have fallen. (the world Satan used to tempt the Lord Jesus)(is fallen)

Those that choose the Beast and his unholy trinity will be destroyed but those that refuse the Beast and repent will be accepted by the Lord and dwell in the Kingdom of the Lord!

The Jews will return to the Lord:

Zec 2:12  And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. 
Zec 2:13  Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. 

Many Gentile nations will repent and join these Jews:

Zec 2:11  And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 

The Church will return from Heaven with the Lord, as He causes these things to happen:

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 
Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 
Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

And we should notice it is not Israel that will just take over as the head nation of this world, "it is those remaining nations of this world that will put Israel in that place as lead nation of the world!

*****Isa 14:2  And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

Over and over again God has delivered His people from captivity and when the Lord returns they can never be placed in captivity again!

The world that has kept them in captivity will see that they get back home, as did King Cyrus, and Israel will rule over it's own oppressors, the Gentile world! It's called "Mercy"!

Deu 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 
Deu 7:7  The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 
Deu 7:8  But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 
Deu 7:9  Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 
Deu 7:10  And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. 

The Lord will always do what He says He will do!

Isa 49:22  Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 
Isa 49:23  And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
Isa 60:14  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 

And who is behind this complete change of the Gentile nations? It is the LORD! the unchanging "I AM" of the Bible.

*****Isa 14:3  And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, 
Isa 14:4  That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! 
Isa 14:5  The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. 

I do not believe there is anyone who can say that they have had no sorrow in their lives.
To the Christian when we know we have unrepented sin in our lives we will always become sorrowful.

The truth is where sin abounds, "grace" much more abounds but is this a license to sin? No, God forbids this!

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 
Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

**Even knowing these things, when we feel that sorrow for our sin, we can still feel gratitude knowing that God can and God will and God does forgive our sin!

Many people have sorrow because of physical ailments that seem to interfere with their daily life, myself included.
But as the Lord told the Apostle Paul, "My Grace is sufficient" for all your pain and suffering.
So what is the answer for sorrow? Trust in the Lord!

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 
Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 

As we go through these Scriptures we will notice that it seems that this King of Babylon seems to be separated from the rest of mankind!
We will see that he is someone destined for a very distinct "judgment".

In reality we can understand this person as our oppressor! It can be anyone who has oppressed us in our service to the Lord, but it can also mean that one who has oppressed all God's people, Satan, the Devil.

The truth of God is this:

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 
1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 

There are no enemies of God that are ever superior to God's children!

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

What does God teach the children of Israel? Their masters will one day become their slaves! Those that oppress them shall be made to help them!

How can these things take place? Because God will one day break the staff of the wicked and there will be no more evil rulers in fact there will only be the government of God, who will rule in "righteousness".

In the time of Babylon, God used Cyrus to break the backs of Babylon.

In the near future God will use His own "Ensign", the Messiah, who will settle all these things.

Psa 125:3  For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. 

We know that Satan is that great oppressor but we do not ever have to fear what he may do to us.

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

As we will see, this oppressor is filled with pride and arrogance against the Lord and His people.

We also see that this oppressor thrived on riches in his golden city!

*****Isa 14:6  He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. 

This evil person would strike out at people in anger, with a continual stroke.
This evil person would trod down nations in his wrath and his unrelenting evil.

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 

What does God say? This evil person would be persecuted himself and no one can stop this from happening!

Rev_20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev_20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

It is obvious that this King of Babylon and his golden city is in fact a clear type of Satan and his influence upon this world!

It is also a fact that this passage will apply to anyone who does such things and lives such a wicked and cruel life. In fact all such things will come to an end at the return of the Messiah!

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 

This is the only time when the whole world will be at rest!

*****Isa 14:7  The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. 
Isa 14:8  Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. 

There are many singers in our world today singing their own songs and the songs of others but when old Satan is cast into the "Burning Lake of Fire" the world that remains will break forth into singing in joy.

In fact, Isaiah loves this idea so much, that he includes it many more times.

Isa 44:23  Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. 

Isa 49:13  Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 

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 than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 

Isa 55:12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 

This world we live in now will go through a complete change!

All the foreign invaders and oppressors who entered Palestine desired to have the trees of Lebanon, until they are practically destroyed but even these trees will rejoice because there will never be another taken down when the Messiah set's up His kingdom on this earth!

There will also be no nations anywhere that will ever have to succumb to foreign invasion.

*****Isa 14:9  Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 
Isa 14:10  All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 

It is impossible that there can be any happiness in Hell, but when old Satan is cast into Hell there will be many already there that will be stirred to know that he also did not escape the wrath of God.

It is a fact that those in Hell already are all believers but there is no escape from that turmoil! They cannot be prayed out of Hell nor can they be bought out of Hell!

They will still get the opportunity at the White Throne Judgment to defend themselves but the Lord will not find their names in the Lamb's Book of Life and they will suffer their eternal fate knowing that even Lucifer was not able to escape.

Rev_19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev_20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Rev_20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev_20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We must keep in mind Satan is just a creation of God, who has fallen from God's "Grace". He holds no power over God!

God has just allowed or it should be said, God has used Satan to prove to all what is good and what is evil and what He expects from His creations.

It was pride that brought the downfall of this created creature of God!

*****Isa 14:11  Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 
Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 
Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 
Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 

We can see that in fact, King Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon was in fact a type of Satan but these Scriptures refer to Satan, the Beast of the Book of Revelation and not Belshazzar.

"In his own", mind Satan is the most wonderful and most beautiful of all God's creations. God did create Satan in perfect but he also had the freedom of choice. Adam was also created in perfection with the freedom of choice.

The truth is, each and everyone of God's creations were made with a specific purpose in mind and Satan was just a failure and God tossed him out of Heaven to make use of him on earth.

Only those who remain perfect can abide in Heaven! Thank God for His "Grace"!

The Lord Jesus was also a witness to this event:

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 

In the end, Satan will be cast out of this world also and into the Burning Lake of Fire:

Joh 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 

Satan will also face God at the "Judgment":

Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

Why did God really pour Himself into the flesh of Jesus Christ?

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

Pride was Satan's downfall!

The noise of his viols is what Satan uses to entice our children. This is a reference to music. Secular music and music of praise to the Lord are two entirely different things!

Satan can only bring death, those worms are reference to the "maggot".
No doubt the thought of the grave brings the thought of corruption and Satan is the most corrupt of all God's creation. Those maggots will not only be spread under Satan but they will cover him. He who walked upon the luxuries of this earth will then be the uttermost of filth.

All Satan has accomplished is to bring weakness to the nations in sin and filth!

Why will these things happen? Because Satan feels in his heart that he should be more exalted than the Lord God!

It is a fact that the angels are aware that God will exalt the humans above the angels in the near future and this does not sit well with Lucifer who exalts his own self above our Holy Father.

What does God say to us?

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

How has this affected the world of the rich and powerful?

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 

What is the truth of Satan and his works?

Satan will go to Hell. He will humbled to a miserable life for eternity!

The sides of the pit of Hell are the most dismal part of the darkness of Hell!

Ezekiel wrote:

Eze 28:8  They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. 
Eze 28:9  Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. 

The only thing Satan has had going for himself these thousands of years since his creation is, the fact of his denial. Even today the existence of Satan is denied.

Satan will not show himself until he appears as the Antichrist during the seven years of Tribulation when he will have a taste of victory that is short lived!

The truth is he will be exposed for what he is, "nothing but trouble"!

*****Isa 14:16  They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, "Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms"; 
Isa 14:17  That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 

Satan will be observed as being dead and many will look upon him. Some will look to make sure he is dead and others will look upon him in unbelief that he did not have the power he so boasted of, but all will fear the Lord who has done this thing!

Psa 64:9  And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. 
Psa 64:10  The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

The truth will be out, the thing that Satan has tried to accomplish is to destroy God's creation! The world is just too blind to see the truth!

Satan has blinded mankind with power and riches knowing these things only lead to destruction!
Satan has hindered the work of the Lord.
Satan has made many Christians useless in the work of the Lord.
Satan has caused his evil to reach into all the high places of governments and commercialism.

We need to remember our battle is not with each other or with any human, our battle has always been against the work of Satan!

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

Satan is none other than a liar and a deceiver and those that worship him are just as bad!

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

Even most evil people are buried today but Satan will not be honored in any such manner.

*****Isa 14:18  All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 
Isa 14:19  But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 
Isa 14:20  Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. 

No doubt King Belshazzar was denied an honorable burial!
A mausoleum may have been prepared but it was not used, in fact his dead body just lay unburied.

In fact he was treated somewhat like Queen Jezebel when she was trodden down by the chariot of Jehu!

As we study the 7 years of Tribulation, we know of 3 and one half years when the Anti-Christ will be exalted and then the last 3 and one half years, (The Great Tribulation), when he will bring ruin to this world.

Mat 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

All of King Belshazzar descendants were destroyed so it is very unlikely that there have ever been any descendants of Nebuchadnezzar as some have claimed.

In truth all those who have worshipped Satan, the Beast, will be slaughtered!

*****Isa 14:21  Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. 
Isa 14:22  For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD. 
Isa 14:23  I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. 

The offspring of Satan will never be mentioned again after this time.
The world that Satan has inspired will be totally destroyed.
The false religions that come about because of Satan's influence will also be destroyed.

The truth is, the old city of Babylon did indeed become a desolate place.
The city of Babylon that exist now is in a different location and has never reached the fame of the old city and it never will.
The old city of Babylon is now a marsh with the remnants of some old buildings.

The truth is, the Lord Jesus Christ has already destroyed the power of Satan, the Devil.

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

The Lord did this at the Cross on Golgotha's hill!

What does Satan use to bring people into bondage?

Greed, Pride, Smoking, Drinking, abusing Drugs, Profanity, Illicit sex of all kinds, Sensual pleasures, Fleshy Passions, Shoplifting, and Theft, Laziness, Indifference, and Overindulgence, just to mention a few.

Because the Lord Jesus came the First Time to die for our sins, "all" these things can be forgiven!

The one thing that cannot be forgiven, is to not believe on the work that Jesus Christ has already done to release us from Satan's bondage!

Those that believe that the Lord Jesus can be a Savior but not be a Destroyer do not read the Scriptures!

If the works of Satan are not destroyed then "God's Mercy" cannot be accomplished!
This is why we live in God's time of "Grace" today to allow time for us all to decide.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

Those that refuse to "come to repentance" will suffer the fate of Satan!

When the Lord returns the Second Time He will destroy the works of the Satan, the Devil.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

*****Isa 14:27  For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? 

There is not one who can turn back the hand of God!

We can choose to believe God or to believe Satan.

It's called making a choice, I have made my choice already.

I choose Christ!

Questions?

Let's Pray!