Everywhere I go, where “Christians” gather, they speak foolishness, falsities, and opinion. They don't talk truth. They lean upon tradition and false teachings. How would I know this? I sit in their bible studies; I gather with them at the coffee shop, and I have heard this garbage preached from the pulpit. To put it bluntly, I can't stand it.
I am painfully aware that I can't fix anybody, especially those who are prideful and unwilling to look at the truth. Apparently, those who lead the studies I am familiar with, are arrogant enough to challenge God by ignoring scripture and declaring that's my opinion, and that is all that matters. I suspect this arrogance will one day catch up with them.
Pained by their responses and wanting the body of Christ to not only grow up in the Lord but learn what the nature and character of God is, I challenge and attempt to teach. When you do this, you find out quickly what they believe when you hear them ignorantly dispatching people to hell.
So, what can you do to combat the ignorance and judgmentalism? Spend time in God's word; study and educate yourself; ask questions of God and His word, and dive into things like the book of Isaiah, so that you can become familiar with the understanding that is so lacking in the body. And learn what He is going to do in these last days.
At the heart of my examination into Isaiah is a statement that was made to me, indicating that Isaiah was quoting from some Babylonian mythology which has been lost to us. [Sadly, I found several commentaries that conveyed this same message. One had the foresight to say, “Most modern interpreters believe that Isaiah is using a well-known mythological tale as an analogy to the failure and consequences of the king of Babylon's rebellion and arrogance, but no known literature matches the details of Helel's rebellion.i” This challenge came from the mouth of a Theologically trained brother in Christ who told me definitively, that Isaiah was using a well-known mythological tale as an analogy. Since I am highly suspicious when there is no evidence, then my only recourse is to examine the portion of scripture that contained the saying and its context. This criticism merely promoted my desire to pursue what, not only God but Isaiah had to say about Babylon and end times events.
Isaiah 12
Isaiah 12:1 NASB “Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me.”
When you open chapter 12 and immediately realize that you have been placed in the middle of someone's thought process, “Then you will say on that day,” you should ask, What day are they talking about? First, we need a context and we can find this in chapter 11 of Isaiah.
Isaiah 11:10-11 NASB Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. 11) Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea.
If you were to challenge the passage (referred to above) and ask, at what point in time the phrase “in that day” is referring to, merely looking at the paragraph and inquiring if the nations are resorting to the root of Jesse, might answer the question?
Since we know that the root of Jesse is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, are the nations resorting to Him? The answer is NO! The apostasy, scripture informs us of, is a destructive, growing, and ongoing process. The small vocal antichrists (anyone denying Christ and trying to get others to do so, is an Antichrist.1)
Isaiah 12:2-3 MKJV Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation. 3) And with joy you shall draw water out of the wells of salvation.
“This chapter Isaiah 12:1-6 is a part of the vision which was commenced in Isaiah 10:5. The prophet had foretold the deliverance of the nation from the threatened invasion of Sennacherib (Isaiah 10;) he had then looked forward to the times of the Messiah, and described the certainty, the character, and the consequences of this reign (Isaiah 11.) The eleventh chapter closes with a reference to the deliverance of the nation from the oppression of the Egyptians. That deliverance was celebrated with a beautiful ode, which was sung by Miriam and ‘all the women,’ who ‘went out after her with timbrels and with dances’ (Exodus 15:1-21.) In imitation of that deliverance, Isaiah says, in this chapter, that the deliverance of which he speaks shall be celebrated also with a song of praise; and this chapter; therefore, is properly an expression of the feelings office redeemed people of God, in view of his great mercy in interposing to save them.
It should be read given the great and glorious deliverance which God has performed for us in the redemption of his Son and with feelings of lofty gratitude that he has brought us from worse than Egyptian bondage - the bondage of sin. The song is far better applied to the times of the Messiah than it could be to anything which occurred under the Jewish dispensation.ii”
Isaiah 12:4 MKJV “And in that day you shall say, Praise Jehovah! Call on His name; declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.”
Here we are with that expression, “in that day.” There is no doubt that that He is speaking of the end of the time of wrath and shortly after the migration into the millennial reign of Christ. Why would I know that? Because of this, “you shall say, Praise Jehovah! Call on His name; declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.” There is no time on earth when this will happen, and there will be nothing from that time forward that will disturb our peace. In that day, His name will indeed be exalted.
Isaiah 12:5-6 MKJV “Sing to Jehovah; for He has done excellent things; this is known in all the earth. 6) Cry out and shout, O dweller of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst.”
One of the problems I see is how God will manage to spread His name throughout the earth. As I spoke with a “brother” in Christ, about how there was nothing that was holding back the Lord's return. The “brother” angrily retorted, he can't, because there are people groups, (at this point he had numbers, and he spewed them at me,) that have not received the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, how does God get around this problem, if there is one?
- He causes an angel to fly around the globe broadcasting the gospel.Revelation 14:6 MKJV And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and kindred and tongue and people,
- It is possible that the continents are moved back together. Since there are least two massive earthquakes, that may allow for freedom of movement across continents.Revelation 6:12 MKJV And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.Revelation 16:18 MKJV And voices and thunders and lightnings occurred. And there was a great earthquake, such as has not been since men were on the earth, so mighty and so great an earthquake.
- Scripture tells us that those gathered around the throne, will declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.It is possible, lacking the obstructions of a broken world, that the gospel will be spread with vigor among the nations.
11 John 2:18-22 MKJV; 1 John 4:2-3 MKJV
iThe IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.
Copyright © 2000 by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas
InterVarsity Press
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World Wide Web:www.ivpress.com
E-mail: mail@ivpress.com
iiAlbert Barnes' Notes on the Bible; Albert Barnes (1798-1870)
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