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  • You are here: Blogs Directory / Education / Eric Rajaniemi's Blog: James 1:22; Romans 1:20 Welcome Guest
    Eric Rajaniemi's Blog: James 1:22; Romans 1:20
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    Sat, Feb 28th - 5:23PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    For I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, says the Lord.

    I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts (14:22-23).

    The utter ruin of the royal family is being foretold, together with the desolation of the royal city. The royal family is to be completely eradicated. The Medes and Persians, that are to be employed in this destruction, are ordered, when they have slain Belshazzar, to prepare slaughter for his children (Isa 14:21) and not to spare them. The little ones of Babylon must be dashed against the stones, Psa 137:9. These orders sound very harsh; but, they must suffer for the iniquity of their fathers, which is often visited upon the children, to show how much God hates sin and is displeased at it, and to deter sinners from it, which is the end of punishment. Nebuchadnezzar had slain Zedekiah's sons (Jer 52:10), and, for that iniquity of his, his seed are paid in like fashion. They must be cut off now, that they may not rise up to possess the land and do as much mischief in their day as their fathers had done in theirs - that they may not be as antagonistic to the world by building cities for the support of their tyranny (which was Nimrod's policy, Gen 10:10, Gen 10:11) as their ancestors had been by destroying cities. Pharaoh oppressed Israel in Egypt by setting them to build cities, Exo 1:11. The providence of God consults the welfare of nations more than we are aware of by cutting off some who, if they had lived, would have done greater wickedness. Justly may the enemies cut off the children: For I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts (Isa 14:22), and if God reveals it as His mind that He will have it done, as none can hinder it, so no one needs any mental reservations to further it. Babylon perhaps was proud of the numbers of its royal family, but God had determined to cut off the name and remnant of it, so that none should be left, to have both the sons and grandsons of the king slain; and yet we are sure He never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of His creatures. The royal city is to be demolished and deserted,Isa 14:23. It shall be a possession for solitary frightful birds, particularly the bittern, joined with the cormorant and the owl, Isa 24:11. And so the utter destruction of the New Testament Babylon is illustrated, Rev 18:2. It has become a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Babylon lay low, so that when it was deserted, and no care taken to drain the land, it soon became pools of water, standing noisome puddles, as unhealthful as they were unpleasant: and thus God will sweep it with the besom/broom of destruction. When a people have nothing among them but dirt and filth, and will not be made clean with the broom of reformation, what can they expect but to be swept off the face of the earth with the broom of destruction?

    If you have seen pictures of those ruins you have seen how literally these verses that we have read have been fulfilled. In the future Babylon will be “rebuilt” although it will be at a different location. It will once again be a place of world power, and in essence it will become a “Tower of Babel” lifted up against God and His will. Once more God will come and judge Babylon, this time it will be final. We have been given these truths so that we can know what is to come in the future.

    Next time we will continue with the next four-six verses. God willing, we shall meet here again. Grace and peace be with you all.

    ~Eric



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    Fri, Feb 27th - 6:34PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

    They that see you shall narrowly look upon you, and consider you, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

    That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? (14:15-17).

    First off, I point out to you the total influence that Satan has had upon this world of ours. All of the wars, all of the ethnic cleansing, all of the genocide is because of Satan’s influence. He hates mankind for we were given dominion over God’s gem of creation: earth. God did not give Lucifer dominion, God gave it to lesser creatures in the eyes of Lucifer/Satan. Jealousy, envy, covetousness all are alive and well inside of Satan. Do not pride yourself with thoughts that you are the author of these vile feelings. Satan is the originator. He plays us like a puppeteer. Beware the powers in high places, the principalities, etc.. We fight against the spiritual realms, not against flesh and blood.

    God is yet going to judge Satan, and that judgment will be severe. Satan is going to be cast into the lake of fire which was prepared just for him.

    God is also working out a great plan and purpose that is far beyond the imagination of anyone here on this earth. We cannot know the totality of it, we are not to question it. But part of this great plan is His method of offering each of us salvation/redemption from all of our sins. So, rather than questioning God, we ought to trust Him, because He is ready to extend to us mercy, grace, and love.

    THE FUTURE REBELLION OF BABYLON

    All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house (14:18).

    Babylon was controlled by Satan. Remember how Satan offered to Christ the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5-7)? Babylon belonged to Satan, just as do all of the other kingdoms that have been. Behind Nazi Germany was Satan. Behind Communist Russia was Satan. Behind Idi Amin dada was Satan. Behind all of the purges in nations across this world has been Satan. Do not be deceived. In the future some sort of representation of Babylon will once again become the center for nations to rebel against God.

    But you are cast out of your 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 carcass trodden under feet.

    You shall not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, and slain your people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

    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 (14:19-21).

    From Matthew Henry’s Commentary we read: The kings of the nations lie in glory (Isa 14:18), either their dead bodies themselves so embalmed as to be preserved from putrefaction, as of old among the Egyptians, or their effigies (as with us) erected over their graves. Thus, as if they would defy the ignominy of death, they lay in a poor faint sort of glory, every one in his own house, that is, his own burying-place (for the grave is the house appointed for all living), a sleeping house, where the busy and troublesome will lie quiet and the troubled and weary lie at rest. But this king of Babylon is cast out and has no grave Isa 14:19); his dead body is thrown, like that of a beast, into the next ditch or upon the next dunghill, like an abominable branch of some noxious poisonous plant, which nobody will touch, or as the clothes of malefactors put to death and by the hand of justice thrust through with a sword, on whose dead bodies heaps of stones are raised, or they are thrown into some deep quarry among the stones of the pit. Nay, the king of Babylon's dead body shall be as the carcases of those who are slain in a battle, which are trodden under feet by the horses and soldiers and crushed to pieces. Thus he shall not be joined with his ancestors in burial, Isa 14:20. To be denied decent burial is a disgrace, which, if it be inflicted for righteousness' sake (as Psa 79:2), may, as other similar reproaches, be rejoiced in (Mat 5:12); it is the lot of the two witnesses, Rev 11:9. But if, as here, it be the just punishment of iniquity, it is an intimation that evil pursues impenitent sinners beyond death, greater evil than that, and that they shall rise to everlasting shame and contempt.

    This is somewhat strange language for us today, but it does get the point across. Those who pursue evil works, once they die, they are to experience more evil themselves. That is the legacy of believing in Satan, or simply not believing in God and thinking that it is alright to do whatever impulses come into your mind.

    Yes, we most definitely are reading about what was to happen to the physical king of Babylon and then to the city itself later on. But as with much prophecy within God’s Word we also can see the applications to the future that is spoken of in Revelation.

    Next time we shall read more about the judgment of Babylon. Until then, beloved, walk circumspectly, do not speak quickly, or foolishly upon any subject. Grace and peace to you all.

    ~Eric



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    Thu, Feb 26th - 6:59PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    THE ORIGIN OF SATAN AND EVIL

    How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who did weaken the nations! (14:12)

    According to Ezekiel 28 Lucifer is the highest creature that God ever created. But he turned on God, he set his will over God’s will. In Luke 10:18 Jesus says, “…I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” So Satan and Lucifer are one and the same creature. In I John 3:8 we are told, “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Revelation 12:7-9 talks about how there was war in heaven between God and Satan.

    So what was the sin of this creature? What is sin in the final analysis?

    For you have said in your 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:

    I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High (14:13-14).

    Here we find five “I wills” uttered by Lucifer/Satan/devil. Sin in its infancy is setting one’s will over and against the will of God. This is the evolution of evil. It began by a creature deciding to be willful and not serve God. As a free moral agent, the creature must be allowed, by God, to do this. Lucifer had a free will to choose his actions.

    We are going to discover later on in Isaiah that all of us have turned to pursue our own ways. Anything that is contrary to the will and character of God is sin. It is possible to displease God by going to church, simply by doing so with the improper motivations.

    Today people still say, “I won’t do what You want me to do. I am going to do it my way!” We all may feel like we are going to do it our way but God’s will is going to prevail over all things. And so our prayers should always include, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

    Satan’s sin was excessive pride. He didn’t go out and tie one on, he didn’t go out and commit grand theft auto. He went against God’s will. He was originally created as an angel of light; he was the son of the morning. He was given a free will and chose to lift up his pride and to aspire to replace God as ruler of all creation. Satan did not purpose to be different from God; he wanted to be exactly like Him. He wanted to be God. Just like lots of people today are believing that they can become gods, or even God Himself.

    How many people are there like Lucifer today? This is what sin is all about. There’s God’s way and then there is man’s way. We live in God’s universe, breathe His air, eat His food, and enjoy His sunshine. God does not send us a monthly bill for these things. But payment for not choosing to do things His way is expected at the end of our lifetime. The wages of sin is death. All must pay, or have made peace with God on this issue of sin.

    In our carnal state, we are unable to obey God; that is why we have to come to Him through Christ Jesus as lost sinners. Then we are given a new nature/state. That is what born again means.

    That is all for tonight, beloved. I am feeling under the weather and do not wish to make mental mistakes in what I am typing here. Until next time may mercy, grace, and peace be with you all. God willing we shall meet here again tomorrow.

    ~Eric



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    Mon, Feb 23rd - 7:34PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    THE FINAL RULER OF THE WORLD

    Hell from beneath is moved for you to meet you at your coming: it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations (14:9).

    But those that will not cease to sin God will make to cease. “The golden city, which one would have thought might continue for ever, has ceased; there is an end of that Babylon. The Lord, the righteous God, has broken the staff of that wicked prince, broken it over his head, in token of the divesting him of his office. God has taken his power from him, and rendered him incapable of doing any more mischief: he has broken the scepters; for even these are brittle things, soon broken and often justly.” That he himself should be seized: He is persecuted (v. 6); violent hands are laid upon him, and none hinders. It is the common fate of tyrants, when they fall into the power of their enemies, to be deserted by their flatterers, whom they took for their friends. We read of another enemy like this, of whom it is foretold that he shall come to his end and none shall help him,

    Dan 11:45. Tiberius and Nero thus saw themselves abandoned. That he should be slain, and go down to the congregation of the dead, to be free among them, as the slain that are no more remembered, Psa 88:5. It is seen that God shall move the dead to be ready to receive the Antichrist. He also moves them to receive each and every wicked ruler that comes along. Hell here refers to Sheol which means either the grave or the place of torment.

    All they shall speak and say unto you, Are you also become weak as we? Are you become like unto us?

    Your pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of your viols: the worm is spread under you, and the worms cover you (14:10-11).

    No matter how strong the wicked rulers may feel during their lifetimes, they always succumb to the complete weakness of death. Death cannot be denied by anyone in their own strength. Only through accepting redemption and salvation through Christ Jesus may a person deny death’s hold upon them. No matter how mighty the ruler, death brings them back down to reality.

    True glory (that is, true grace) will go up with the soul to heaven, but vain pomp will go down with the body to the grave: there is an end of it. The noise of his viols is now heard no more. Death is a farewell to the pleasures, as well as to the pomps, of this world. This mighty prince, that used to lie on a bed of down, to tread upon rich carpets, and to have coverings and canopies exquisitely fine, now shall have the worms spread under him and the worms covering him, worms bred out of his own putrefied body, which, though he fancied himself a god, proved him to be made of the same things as other men. When we are pampering and decking our bodies it is good to remember they will be worms’-meat shortly.

    I’ll stop here for now. Next time we shall find the origin of Satan and evil. Verses 12-17 shed some light upon these two topics and we shall study them more closely. Until then mercy, grace, and peace be yours; beloved, if God is willing we shall meet again in this space.

    ~Eric



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    Sun, Feb 22nd - 1:04PM



    My apologies for a gap appearing in my last post.  I have been unable to include a closing and my name at the end for the site's endless desire to insert it up in the body of the post.  So I have added this now: 

    Until we meet again, God willing, mercy, grace, and peace be yours in Christ.

    ~Eric



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    Sun, Feb 22nd - 12:45PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    When shall the things of verse two come to pass? We find out in verse three and beyond:

    And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear, and from the hard bondage wherein you were made to serve (14:3).

    Do the Jews have sorrow in their land today? Yes, they most certainly do. Do any of them live in fear? Yes, those who are exposed to the prospect of mortar and rocket attacks are forced to live in constant fear. As peaceful as the citizenry may be, the nation as a whole is living in fear and sorrow today.

    This verse speaks to the time of Isaiah immediately for the people were to be restored to their land from Babylon after their captivity had been served out. But we also can see application to nation Israel today for they must look to the future for the time of given rest by God. It also can be applied to the church of Christ for we all are looking forward to that day when we shall not experience sorrow and pain any more. We look towards that day when our hard bondage to sin will be permanently broken and we will forever be free! Amen!

    That you shall take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased! (14:4)

    Surely the Israelites took up that proverb when they witnessed the demise of Babylon after their captivity. Surely this proverb will be spoken again one day in the future when God presents judgment against “Babylon” in the form of a resurrected Roman Empire led by the Antichrist. Babylon represents all of the enemies of Israel, and of the church of Christ.

    The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers.

    He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hinders (14:5-6).

    The Lord has not yet broken the power of the world’s rulers, that is something yet to come in our future. For sure, God does break individual rulers and bring judgment upon them but He has not done so on a worldwide basis as of today.

    For all of the injustice that exists in our world there must be judgment from a holy God. As we see in verse six no one will dare hinder God’s judgment, no one will be able to hinder the accomplishment of His judgment. These two verses speak to the time of the Final Judgment before God’s throne.

    The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

    Yes, the fir trees rejoice at you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you were laid down, no feller is come up against us (14:7-8).

    The wretched abuse of all this wealth and power, which the king of Babylon was guilty of, can be seen in two instances: - (1.) Great oppression and cruelty. He is known by the name of the oppressor,

    Isa 14:4; he has the sceptre of the rulers (Isa 14:5), has the command of all the princes about him; but it is the staff of the wicked, a staff with which he supports himself in his wickedness and wickedly strikes all about him. He smote the people, not in justice, for their correction and reformation, but in wrath (Isa 14:6), to gratify his own peevish resentments, and that with a continual stroke, pursued them with his forces, and gave them no respite, no breathing time, no cessation of arms. He ruled the nations, but he ruled them in anger, every thing he said and did was in a passion; so that he who had the government of all about him had no government of himself. He made the world as a wilderness, as if he had taken a pride in being the plague of his generation and a curse to mankind, Isa 4:17. Great princes usually glory in building cities, but he gloried in destroying them; see Psa 9:6. Two particular instances, worse than all the rest, are here given of his tyranny: - [1.] That he was severe to his captives (Isa 14:17): He opened not the house of his prisoners; he kept them in close confinement, and never would suffer any to return to their own land. This refers especially to the people of the Jews, and it is that which fills up the measure of the king of Babylon's iniquity, that he had detained the people of God in captivity and would by no means release them. [2.] That he was oppressive to his own subjects (Isa 14:20): Thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people; and what did he get by that, when the wealth of the land and the multitude of the people are the strength and honor of the prince, who never rules so safely, so gloriously, as in the hearts and affections of the people? But tyrants sacrifice their interests to their lusts and passions; and God will deal with them for their barbarous usage of those who are under their power, whom they think they may use as they please. (2.) Great pride and haughtiness. Notice is here taken of his pomp, the extravagancy of his retinue, Isa 14:11. He affected to appear in the utmost magnificence. But that was not the worst: it was the temper of his mind, and the elevation of that, that ripened him for ruin (Isa 14:13, Isa 14:14): Thou has said in thy heart, like Lucifer, I will ascend into heaven. Here is the language of his arrogant pride, borrowed perhaps from that of the angels who fell, who not content with their first estate, the post assigned them, would vie with God, and become not only independent of Him, but equal with Him. Or perhaps it refers to the story of Nebuchadnezzar, who, when he would be more than a man, was justly turned into a brute, Dan 4:30. The king of Babylon here promises himself, [1.] That in pomp and power he shall surpass all his neighbors, and shall arrive at the very height of earthly glory and happiness, that he shall be as great and happy as this world can make him; that is the heaven of a carnal heart, and to that he hopes to ascend, and to be as far above those about him as the heaven is above the earth. Princes are the stars of God, which give some light to this dark world (Mat 24:29); but he will exalt his throne above them all. [2.] That he shall particularly insult over God's Mount Zion, which Belshazzar, in his last drunken frolic, seems to have had a particular spite against when he called for the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem, to profane them; see Dan 5:2. In the same humor he here said, I will sit upon the mount of the congregation (it is the same word that is used for the holy convocations), in the sides of the north; so Mount Zion is said to be situated, Psa 48:2. Perhaps Belshazzar was projecting an expedition to Jerusalem, to triumph in the ruins of it, at the time when God cut him off. [3.] That he shall vie with the God of Israel, of whom he had indeed heard glorious things, that he had his residence above the heights of the clouds. “But there,” says he, “will I ascend, and be as great as he; I will be like him whom they call the Most High.” It is a gracious ambition to covet to be like the Most Holy, for He has said, Be you holy, for I am holy; but it is a sinful ambition to aim to be like the Most High, for He has said, He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and the devil drew our first parents in to eat forbidden fruit by promising them that they should be as gods.

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    Sat, Feb 21st - 12:08PM



    TRINITY OF GRACES

    From the messages by Dr. J. Vernon McGee

    Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel (Colossians 1:4-5).

    We can see here how Paul links the trinity of graces for all believers: 1) faith - past; 2) love - present; 3) hope - future.

    These believers had faith towards God. Faith rests upon historical facts; it is based on the past. They based their faith upon what they had heard before “in the word of truth of the gospel.” This refers to the content of the gospel message, the great truths that relate to the gospel of the grace of God. God has all of us lined up in front of a cross, and He asks each of us to believe Him. The gospel is not something for us to do. It tells us what He did for you and for me over almost 2,000 years ago.

    “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Faith is not a leap in the dark, nor is it a leap off of an unknown cliff-edge. It rests solidly upon historical facts; it is believing God.

    “And of the love which you have to all the saints”

    Now these Colossian believers had their good points. They had sound doctrine, their faith was sound towards God. They were fundamental in their beliefs, and they had love for their brethren. Paul also said that they had hope -

    In I Corinthians Paul visits this trinity of graces once again, but he lists them slightly differently:

    ~Eric

    - faith is based upon the past, but love is for the present. It is fruitless, and pure nonsense, to boast of the fundamentalism of our doctrine/s and then spend our time crucifying our brethren and trying to find fault with them. We are to love all saints and not just the ones in my “fave five” or in my “circle of friends.” God so loved the entire world and that is how our approach must be my friends. We do not have the authority to pick and choose whom we will love unconditionally, Christ has spoken the Word to us: “love which you have to all the saints.” It is hypocrisy to consider myself a Christian and then not to demonstrate love for the brethren. If I have a disagreement with my brethren, I am to bear with them, I am to pray for them, and I am to still love them. I am a sinner saved by grace. But for Christ, so go I. None of us are going to be perfect in this lifetime of ours.“For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven.” “And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” He put hope in second position and love is listed as last. Why is that? Because love is the only thing that is going to last, or abide. Love is for the present, it is true, but it is also going to make it into eternity. It must, for is not God love? And so it is extremely important that we begin to show love down here on this earth, while we still have the opportunity to do so.

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    Wed, Feb 18th - 6:06PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    This chapter opens on a joyful note due to the final judgment of Babylon. The millennial kingdom is established with all fears and dangers removed. We are going to see God’s plan and purpose for the earth.

    We find here a mixture of light and darkness. There will be a change from the joy of the kingdom to the punishment of hell. Satan and the problem of evil are brought before us.

    THE FUTURE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL AND THE PEACE OF THE KINGDOM

    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 (14:1).

    This verse reaches out to the Gentiles of the world. We are the “sojourners,” the “strangers.” God wants Jew and Gentile to worship Him together as the church of Christ. What does restoration mean? I think that all of us read “set them in their own land” as meaning restoration here. But when and how is this to happen? Has the restoration already happened? Some would argue that, yes, the Jews were already restored to Jerusalem and the Promised Land after the Romans destroyed their city. Well, yes, they were able to rebuild Jerusalem, but were they set down in their “own land?” I do not think that that has happened yet. Perhaps what they occupy today satisfies this verse’s prophecy. Or perhaps this speaks of yet a more distant time in the future. A time when both Jew and Gentile believers in Christ Jesus live in Jerusalem. This would then be a time when Israel would not require the beneficence of any nation or the United Nations for help. Christ Jesus would be reigning there 24/7.

    Many people say they believe the verbal, literal inspiration of Scriptures, but turn completely around and will say that this verse is not literal. Denying its reality and the fact that it is literal, you deny the inspiration of Scripture. The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will choose Israel. That is the reality. It means exactly what it says.

    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 (14:2).

    This would seem to speak to the fact that when the 70 years of captivity came to an end in Babyon the Jews were returned to the Promised Land in a friendly manner. The departure from Egypt was one where their oppressors were tired of them and wished them to be gone whereas this departure was financed willingly by their former oppressors.

    It also would seem to speak to the recent events when the Jews returned to establish Israel in the 1940’s. They have been ruling over former oppressors, and those who have attempted to oppress them.

    But, we also have a possible future time where Gentiles will willingly help Jews worldwide to return to the Promised Land. Even though this verse appears to have been completely fulfilled already, the next verse highlights the fact that it has not been fulfilled yet. That is for next time however.

    Until next time, strive to conform yourself daily to Christ. Deny your desires that arise from carnal thoughts and focus your energies upon those things that Christ has told us we must do.

    ~Eric



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    Mon, Feb 16th - 4:37PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    Destruction of Babylon in the Day of Man.

    Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

    And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah(13:17-19).

    Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. 

    Who are the Medes? They joined with the Persians and became a mighty duel empire that conquered Babylon. The prophet spoke of this happening in the immediate future. Apparently, these people were not interested in being bought off, they would not accept “protection money.”

    All that men have they would give for their lives, but the Medes shall not regard silver; it is blood they thirst for, not gold. 

    Verse nineteen is prophecy that has been fulfilled. Babylon was the greatest kingdom that has ever existed. The Macedonian empire, the Egyptian empire, as was the Roman empire, were all great. At one time even Great Britain could have been considered a great nation. But they could not compare to Babylon’s glory. God called it “the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency,” and God overthrew it just as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. Just look at the ruins of ancient Babylon and it can be recognized that their empire was utterly ruined.

    Other great cities have been rebuilt, but not Babylon. Jerusalem has been rebuilt. Rome has been rebuilt. German cities that were utterly bombed out during World War II have been rebuilt. God declared that Babylon would never again be inhabited. It is true that “Babylon” shall arise again in the future, but it will not be resurrected upon its ancient site. It will exist elsewhere.

    Babylon represents confusion. It will also represent great commerce, political, and religious power. It will become the center of a huge spider web of influence stretching around our planet.

    They shall show no pity (Isa 13:18),not to the young men that are in the prime of their time - they shall shoot them through with their bows, and then dash them to pieces; not to the age of innocency - they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb, nor spare little children, whose cries and frights one would think should make even the most stony heart to relent. Pause a little here and wonder, (1.) That men should be so cruel and inhuman, and so utterly emptied of all compassion; and in it see how corrupt and degenerate the nature of man has become. (2.) That the God of infinite mercy should suffer it, and should make it to be the execution of His justice, which shows that, though He is gracious, yet He is the God to whom vengeance belongs. (3.) That little infants, who have never been guilty of any actual sin, should be thus abused, which shows that there is an original guilt by which life is forfeited as soon as it is had.

    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.

    But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

    And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged (13:20-22).

    You may be wondering how can this city be in ruins and yet still appear in the very last days as a literal city? The current site of ancient Babylon is seven to nine miles from the Euphrates River. The river used to run right through the city in ancient times.

    Claims have been made by archaeologists over the years that Arabian helpers have refused to pitch their tents within the ruins of Babylon, they would go outside the city’s ruins. Perhaps they are merely superstitious? Who knows for sure. Lions have been found to live in dens in those ruins over the years. Satyrs are the same as demons. So if one desires to dance with demons, ancient Babylon’s ruins are the place to go in this day and age. Babylon was the capitol of idolatry in the ancient past and demons congregated there. Anyone who says that they believe in demons and worships Satan ought to go on over to Babylon’s ruins and experience things first hand.

    The future Babylon will become a great city which is the center of the earth. Every thing will flow through this great metropolis. The Antichrist shall rule from that place. But it too shall be completely destroyed just as its ancient namesake was. Babylon is a memorial to the fact of the accuracy of fulfilled prophecy within scripture. It is a testimony to the fact that God will also judge the future Babylon.

    That, my friends, completes chapter thirteen. We discovered many things within this chapter, and it points us onward towards the next chapter in this long book. The next chapter continues coverage of the burden of Babylon. We are going to discover some great issues that are at stake in this next chapter of Isaiah. The origin of evil and its judgment and final removal from this creation is the general theme.

    That is for next time, God willing. Until then, consider how you can strengthen your congregation of believers. Could it be through more prayer meetings, bible studies, or visitations? How about increased fellowship meals that increase contact between members? Peace and grace be yours this day.

    ~Eric



    Comment (2)

    Sun, Feb 15th - 10:16AM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    We now read how God moves nations to do His bidding, to carry out His judgments on other nations.

    They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.

    Howl you; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty(13:5-6).

    The Babylonians became the Lord’s weapon to unleash judgment upon the southern kingdom of Judah. This is something that is already recorded in human history. But verse six is speaking about something that is beyond anything that is currently in our history. This speaks about the Great Tribulation Period yet to come. And the same principle will play out during that period of time. Nations from the farthest reaches of the globe will inflict pain, suffering, and destruction upon nations on the opposite side of the planet from them. Perhaps terrorism is the agent of these judgments against mankind, perhaps not. What is certain is that God will move nation against nation as He sees fit to do during the final seven years of history as we now know it.

    Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt.

    And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

    Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it (13:7-9).

    Does any of this sound like soft, fuzzy, love? No, this is the God of Love fulfilling exactly what He promised to do if people refused to repent and turn back to Him. Any of you ladies who have gone through painful childbirth experiences will understand what sort of physical pain people will experience during the Tribulation. If you have had any questions as to whether or not God intends to destroy those who reject His Son as their Savior and as their God, verse nine answers it. Yes, God intends to utterly destroy all who refuse, or reject, Christ Jesus as God, as the Messiah, as the Lamb of God. This travail is an identifier of the opening of the Day of the Lord. Men will experience what women have felt during millennia of giving birth to children.

    For the stars of heaven and the constellation thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine (13:10).

    Here is another sure sign of the Tribulation having begun in earnest. More is written about this in the book of Revelation and commentary can be found in my archives. Another scripture reference is found in Matthew 24 where Christ prophesied about this occurrence. This will be a frightening time for people to live in.

    And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible (13:11).

    Here is the Lord speaking out to us, He is informing all of us of what to expect if we continue to turn our backs upon Him. He fully intends to punish evil and wickedness. The arrogance of proud people will be halted and those who think that they are so much better than others shall be brought down to their knees. Anyone who reads this post and has not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, I beg you to reconsider your position! Time is running out! As all of us have seen, any plane, at any time of day or night, can possibly crash into our homes or businesses and kill us in an instant. What will you do then? It will be too late to be born again at that point. You will have thrown away your opportunity to be saved.

    I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

    Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

    And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

    Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

    Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished(13:12-16).

    Verse twelve rings truthfully with the fact that when Christ died upon that cross for us that He added value to each of us. We are invaluable to God. That is why He does not desire for any of us to perish, but perish we will if we remain stubborn and obstinate and refuse to love God in truth and spirit. Verses 13-16 tell us that the worldwide destruction of the Tribulation would allow no flesh to survive except that God cuts the length of it to a minimum and that He preserves a remnant for Himself. For God always preserves a remnant for Himself.

    That is all for this first day of the week, beloved. I hope and pray that all will choose to offer up worship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit this day. Next time we will study verses 17-22 which speak of the destruction of Babyon. Peace, and grace be yours this day.

    ~Eric



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    Thu, Feb 12th - 7:36PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    In this chapter, number thirteen, we are going to see a definite change. The tone changes, we are introduced to “burdens.” We could substitute the word “judgment” for the word “burden.” This chapter denotes a brand new section of prophecy which is going to continue through chapter 23.

    We are going to find some names that are strangely familiar. Some of these burdens/judgments will take place in the future but much have been fulfilled and stand before us as evidence of fulfilled prophecy. In this section the Assyrian has been supplanted by Babylon as the oppressor.

    Isaiah was not pleased to have to deliver this message to his people. He did not win friends or influence powerful people. Prophets are not in popularity contests.

    We will be forced to consider several aspects of the coming passages. First we will have to have as our primary consideration the literal Babylon. In Isaiah’s time this city was insignificant. God pronounced judgment upon this nation before it ever became one!

    The surrounding nations (nine) have burdens pronounced upon them in this section but then there are even more burdens handed out in chapters 28-33.

    So basically we are going to discove in this chapter 13 the punishment of Babylon in the Day of the Lord, or the Last Days.

    The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

    Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto

    them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

    I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty

    ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness (13:1-3).

    In this chapter we have a general rendezvous of the forces that were to be used against Babylon (Isa 13:1-5). The dreadfully bloody work that those forces should make in Babylon (Isa 13:6-18). The utter ruin and desolation of Babylon, which this should end in (Isa 13:19-22).

    In verse two is seen that the Medes are referred to as “them” and they were to be the primary ones to overthrow Babylon in one hundred seventy-four years from this point in time. Isaiah was looking beyond the captivity in Babylon to when judgment also came upon the Babylonians.

    Verse three speaks to the fact that Babylon, as was Assyria, was set apart for the work of the Lord. God used them to execute judgment against the unbelievers of Israel. Sanctified means “to set apart for a specific use.” They were to be used to take Israel into captivity for 70 years.

    Isaiah was shown the burden to be placed upon Babylon in the future once it became an empire. It became the first great world power as seen in Daniel’s prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar was the “head of gold” in that statue, being the head of the Babylonian empire.

    Will this ancient city be resurrected in the future yet? Today it is partially rebuilt, the endeavors of Saddam Hussein. This ancient city is the symbol of united rebellion against God. This rebellion began at the Tower of Babel and will end in Revelation 17 and 18. In that book of the bible it can be seen that Babylon shall be destroyed by a great judgment against it. Perhaps here in Isaiah we see the very first intimation of that judgment yet to come.

    The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts musters the host of the battle (13:4).

    Babylon came upon Judah as a great host. They flooded down from out of the mountains and overtook Jerusalem.

    Next time we shall explore several more verses that spoke to those times and also to a time that is still ahead of our day. Until then, beloved, study to be approved of your faith in Christ. Study God’s Word in order to be instant in season, and out of season. God willing, we shall meet here again soon.

    ~Eric



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    Tue, Feb 10th - 7:50PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    So far I have followed a series of prophecies that began back in chapter seven. It concludes in this next chapter. This series began with the judgment of God upon His people. It has been seen that the kingdom would be established on earth and that the Lord Jesus Christ would reign personally over that kingdom.

    Here in chapter twelve it will be seen that we have arrived at a point that is past the Tribulation Period, all of the storms of life have passed and are over and done with. The Israeli remnant has entered the kingdom, and can be found worshipping and praising God. Today Israel can be found at the Wailing Wall but at this time they shall be found singing in the streets.

    This extremely brief chapter reads like one of the psalms, it is a jewel of beauty. Here we find pure praise from redeemed hearts to God because of His salvation and creation. The curse of sin has been removed from the earth and surely is an occasion for praise to God.

    And in that day you shall say, O Lord, I will praise you: though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me (12:1).

    Once more we find that expression, “in that day,” which marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation Period and extends through the coming kingdom of Christ. Some wish to claim that Israel shall enter into the kingdom and worship Christ, but why would Isaiah mention that remnant aways back in this book? As with all peoples, only a remnant of those who believe shall enter into the kingdom. For those who enter in there shall be pure joy.

    Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation (12:2).

    We all need to see that God did not provide salvation but that He became, and is salvation. Salvation is a Person, not a program, or a system, or a ritual, or a liturgy. Salvation is Jesus Christ, the Lord Jehovah. Christ should bring a song to our lips each day now, we shouldn’t wait until His second advent to open up our mouths and praise Him for what He has done for us.

    Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation (12:3).

    This verse speaks of abundance. God’s salvation gives satisfaction and joy to the hearts of those who have repented of their sins and accepted Him as their Savior. During the millennial kingdom there will be abundant joy, which is what God wants for us. Our salvation ought to trigger radiant joy and cause us to sing. That is to be part of our daily witness to the lost world.

    And in that day shall you say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted (12:4).

    “In that day” is pointing towards the Millennium, the light part of the day as opposed to the darkness of the passing night. The Day of the Lord opened with the deep darkness of sin. Our day today is considered to begin with the break of day, but during the Biblical times a day began at sunset. We read in Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” The Millennium is the the morning of joy and the time of eternal thanksgiving to God for salvation from sin and for being the Creator. “Praise the Lord” means hallelujah. There are not enough hallelujahs going around today, beloved. We need to let loose with at least one each day.

    Sing unto the Lord; for He has done excellent things: this is known in all the earth (12:5).

    God has done great things. He created everything around us in six days and declared it as being very good. He provided a perfect salvation for us which we should be very thankful for. Even though the earth has been cursed with sin it is still a very beautiful place in which to live. Just think how marvelous this earth shall be when there is no more sin and peace reigns everywhere and in everything.

    Cry out and shout, you inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of you (12:6).

    Here are hallelujahs being thrown out all over the place in utter joy! They come from the heart of a redeemed soul. Today we speak of dedication to Christ but we do not even have the capacity to imagine what true dedication actually is. In that day we shall learn what dedication really means, and we shall joyfully engage in doing it.

    We also see in this final verse of chapter twelve that God does not jettison the Jew from His love. Quite the opposite is true. The Holy One remains in the middle of His people forever.

    That completes this chapter, by friends, and next time I shall dive into chapter thirteen. We will find words about Babylon and the day of the Lord along with destruction that shall happen during the day of the Lord. Until then, the Lord willing, I pray that you remain faithful to Christ and to His Word.

    ~Eric



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    Mon, Feb 9th - 6:09PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    PARTICULARS OF THE KINGDOM

    The wolf also shall live with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

    And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox (11:6-7).

    Whoa! Wait a minute, brother Eric! Are you chewing on peyote, or what? I hear you. During the time when Christ reigns on earth the calf and the lion will lie down together in peace. Today, the only way this happens is if the calf is inside of the lion!

    “And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” This sounds ridiculous to us today. Today lions do not eat straw, they eat meat and the fresher the better. The Creator who made the lion will be able to make him eat straw when the appointed time comes. Predators will no longer be roaming the earth looking for their next “kill.” They too will be at peace in creation.

    They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (11:9).

    This kingdom of God’s making shall cover the entire world, without exception. Knowledge of God shall not be lacking any longer among mankind, nor amongst the animals.

    PARTICULARS OF THE KINGDOM

    And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious (11:10).

    “In that day,” is the key to this verse. “That day” begins with the Tribulation Period and extends thereafter into the kingdom. All non-Jewish peoples seek out the “root of Jesse” who represents an emblem, a flag, or even a badge of eternal life. And then we are told that Christ’s rest shall be a glorious one. We shall be free of all disease, all worry, all stress, all health concerns imaginable. There will be no tears of sorrow, no aches nor pains in our joints. There will be no hunger, no sleeplessness at night. Christ shall provide everything that we could possibly need.

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathos, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea (11:11).

    Here we see that God intends to restore a remnant of His people, they shall be recovered. Some scholars assert that the first time God set His hand was when He led the people out from slavery in Egypt. I am unsure if that fits with the intent here. That was a leading out of the entire people from Egypt, this verse speaks about a “remnant.” If I am correct, then the first “recovery” was brought about in order to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls. This was a return from captivity in Babylon. The second time that a remnant shall be recovered will be at the end of time. Not all Jewish people shall repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah. A remnant of them, and of the Gentiles, shall accept Christ as their Messiah. This verse speaks on two separate levels. One level is the immediate future of king Ahaz and his kingdom which is one of captivity under the Assyrians; the other is the distant future when Christ returns to rule forever from out of Jerusalem. All believers shall then be called forth to meet with Him, He shall gather us from every corner of the globe.

    And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth (11:12).

    What type of “ensign” will Christ establish here? Well, none other than Himself! Jesus will be the rallying point for the meek during the end times. They shall inherit the earth on that day. That is the program, that is God’s plan.

    Isa 11:16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

    Isa 11:13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

    Isa 11:14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

    Isa 11:15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

    Peace shall reign supreme over the earth! But only once Christ returns and begins His reign from out of Jerusalem. No one else is going to be able to enforce peace, only God can do that.

    Again, we see two levels of meaning in this passage of scripture. This is not an indicator that the Israeli kingdom would return in full force but rather that they would put aside their differences and be able to rule the peoples to the east of them once they returned to the Promised Land. Verses 15-16 are something that really hasn’t happened as of yet. It is a future reference to the end times. The remnant of God’s people shall be able to return to Him safely from captivity. Is this also a reference to that time when all people will come to Jerusalem to worship Christ? I do not know.

    That brings us to the end of chapter eleven of Isaiah. It was a short chapter. Next time we will begin chapter twelve which has a theme about the worship of the Lord in the coming millennium, something that a lot of folk do not like acknowledging will happen, just as God says it will. Until then, be true to Christ and to your high calling from our great God, Jehovah.

    ~Eric



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    Sat, Feb 7th - 3:55PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    THE PURPOSE OF THE KINGDOM

    And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

    But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked (11:3-4).

    Here is the purpose of God’s kingdom. To bring righteous judgment to the poor, reprove using equity for the meek, and ultimately to bring holy judgment against the wicked using the words of His mouth and His breath to slay them all. Satan is the prince of this world today, and shall have great sway and power during the coming days and years. But there will be no deliverance of the wicked and their master, Satan. People will shout out for help from every direction conceivable to them, except to ask for help from up above. At that time the Son of God shall come and establish His kingdom. The reason for Christ to return to this earth is extremely evident to all: Earth needs a ruler. Since this is God’s universe, God will send His only begotten Son to come and establish God’s rule upon this sinful earth once and for all time. Judgment shall not be based upon what physical sight can show Christ of the sins of mankind. Court shall not be very long at all, only two judgments exist for mankind: one for those who believe in Christ, and one for those who have rejected Christ. The believers receive their judgment first and then roughly 1000 years later the unbelievers will all receive their throne judgment.

    Believer: One day each of us will stand before our Lord and Savior and our lives will be laid bare before Him. Any and all phoniness will be revealed. Shouldn’t we be eliminating all of it as soon as we discover it in our lives? Christ is the Light of the universe and He shall turn that intense light upon each one of us at judgment time. I think that is a little terrifying, don’t you? Makes me want to clean my life up some more.

    And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins (11:5).

    In these three verses I could have used capitol letters with each pronoun used to signify God/Christ. That would be fitting and properly showing respect for Him. What shall be the foundation of Christ’s rule? Righteousness and faithfulness. These two will be instituted along with a restoration of dominion which was lost by Adam so long ago.

    That is all for today, my friends. Next we shall look at what the specifics of this coming kingdom will be. It is something unlike anything that any of us have experienced in our lives. Until then, walk as children of the Light and let the light of Christ shine out through you to the rest of the world.

    ~Eric



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    Fri, Feb 6th - 7:49PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    We come now to chapter eleven, a chapter that continues the prophecy begun in chapter seven. In previous chapters we have observed a time of judgment, a time that Christ called the Great Tribulation Period. This current chapter is considered to be a great Messianic prophecy. We will see that it speaks of the coming of Christ to establish His eternal kingdom and the type of program He will have.

    And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots (11:1).

    Interestingly, David is not the one mentioned here, Jesse is. He is David’s father. Isaiah was given carefully crafted words to get this important point across to all of us “dummies.” The original royal line began with David once he became king of Israel. But after his line’s demise in later years it became nothing more than equivalent to a peasant’s. So by the time of Jesus it belonged to One raised in a carpenter’s shop. Therefore, we are told here that the rod comes “out of the stem of Jesse.”

    Branch

    means “a live sprout.” The first time we came across a reference to the “Branch” it was back in Isaiah 4:2. This is one of the titles given to Christ. Obviously, Christ came from out of the lineage of Jesse, even though the royal line no longer appeared “kingly.” Christ grew from out of Jesse’s roots, ready to accept the scepter of the throne of David.

    And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord (11:2).

    Here we see reference to the sevenfold spirit of God which rested upon Christ. Each of the underlined portions of the above verse are parts of the Holy Spirit of God. Contrary to what most believe, the number seven does not signify perfection but indicates fullness, completeness. This thought is reinforced in Ephesians 5:18 when we are told to be filled with the Spirit. How many of us could be said to be full of the Holy Spirit today? I think that too few of us are overflowing with Christ’s Spirit, even though we ought to be. Christ, however, was completely full with His Holy Spirit.

    A. “The spirit of the Lord.” Christ in His humanity went out and ministered in the power of the Spirit. When He comes back He is going to rule in the power of the Spirit.

    B. “The spirit of wisdom.” I Corinthians 1:30 tells us that He was made to be wisdom for us. He is the only one who can lead and guide us through this troubled life of ours. Satan can’t find anything wrong in Christ, but he sure has a field day with each of us, doesn’t he? That is why we must lose ourselves in Christ. We need the Spirit of Wisdom.

    C. “And understanding.” This is also a spirit of discernment. It bothers me to find so few believers who understand the position that each of us is in. They do not understand that we do not struggle against people, we struggle against Satan and sin. They do not understand that we are not to hold grudges against each other for offenses, that indeed, we are not to become offended at all! They misunderstand angels. They are unable to discern people who are spiritually and mentally disturbed/troubled. These people too often tend to follow after one man who has given them answers to their problems and disregard what Christ has ordered them to do with their lives. Each one of us need the Spirit of understanding so that we can comprehend if what we are being told is true to the Word of God, or not. We need to be very aware of who is for the Lord and who is not. If we do not have understanding then we must ask God to give us some.

    D. “The spirit of counsel.” Do you need counsel? Someone to listen to your needs? Someone to give you timely advice? Someone who can point you in the correct direction so that you won’t be lost any longer? Jesus Christ never asked anyone for advice, did He? He gave advice to many while He walked this earth, He can give you advice also.

    E. “Might.” Power is being spoken of here. Paul said, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection…”(Philippians 3:10). Each of us needs the power of Christ’s resurrection each and every day. 

    F & G. “The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” These can come through a thorough study of God’s Word and through prayer to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to open your eyes to the truth contained within the Bible passage that you are studying. The Holy Spirit becomes your Teacher, your Instructor unto finding Truth.

    That concludes the introduction to this chapter. We have been given the Person and Power of the King. Next time we shall see that there is a definite purpose to His Kingdom and what some of the particulars are of that Kingdom. Until then, beloved, practice walking in the light, practice daily prayer interceding on the behalf of others. Give thanks to Christ, forget not all that He has done for you.

    ~Eric



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    Thu, Feb 5th - 7:54PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    Once again, Isaiah moves beyond, “in that day.”

    He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he has laid up his carriages:

    They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

    Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

    Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

    As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem (10:28-32).

    This section of prophecy contains some remarkable things. It gives certain geographical locations, all of them north of Jerusalem, and it shows the route taken by Assyria and of the future invader from the north during the end times. As given to us in Ezekiel 38-39, the invader comes from the north, the land of Magog.

    Now notice the places that have been mentioned: “Aiath” is about fifteen miles north of Jerusalem. “Migron” is south of Aiath and is the pass where Jonathan got a victory over the Philistines (look in I Samuel 14). “Geba” and “Ramah” are about six miles north of Jerusalem. “Anathoth” was about three miles north of Jerusalem. This was the home of the prophet Jeremiah. “Laish” is in the extreme north of Palestine, in the tribe of Dan. “Madmenah” is a garbage dump north of Jerusalem. “Nob” last mentioned is north of the city and in sight of Jerusalem.

    Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled (10:33).

    God intervenes and delivers His people. Those who were notable, of high prestige, were cut down in their prime. Those who were prideful, arrogant, full of snobbery were also cut down in their prime. Again, during the end of times this scenario shall once more play itself out upon the stage of world history. This verse is a reference to the second coming of Christ to establish His eternal kingdom on earth.

    And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one (10:34).

    “The mighty one” of this verse, I believe, refers to Christ Jesus. When Christ comes once more He shall cut down all of the unbelievers who come to stand against Him in battle.

    Well, beloved, that ends chapter 10. Lots of things were discovered by us during our study of the chapter. Now we shall begin studying chapter 11 whose theme is about the Person and power of the King, the purpose and program of the coming kingdom. Until then, may peace and love grace your life and household.

    ~Eric



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    Tue, Feb 3rd - 7:48PM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, O My people that dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite you with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against you, after the manner of Egypt (10:24)  

    God told the Israelites not to be afraid of the Assyrians and what they would do to them. God reminded them of how things were while they were amongst the Egyptians.

    Isa 10:25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in their destruction.

    Isa 10:26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

    Isa 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

    The judgment was sent because of the hypocrites, the unbelievers; the deliverance was created for the sake of the remnant of true believers. Here we have an exhortation to God's people not to be frightened at this threatening calamity, nor to be put into any confusion or puzzlement by it. Let the sinners in Zion be afraid (Isa 33:14): but O my people, that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, Isa 10:24. Note, It is against the mind and will of God that His people, whatever may happen, should give way to that fear which has torment and amazement. Those that dwell in Zion, where God dwells and where His people attend Him, and are employed in His service, that are under the protection of the bulwarks that are round about Zion (Psa 48:13), should not be afraid of any enemy. Let their souls dwell at ease in God.

    Considerations are offered for the silencing of their fear. The Assyrian shall do nothing against them but what God has appointed and determined. They are here told before hand what he shall do, that it may be no surprise to them: “He shall smite you by the divine permission, but it shall be only with a rod to correct you, not with a sword to wound and kill; nay, he shall but lift up his staff against you, threaten you, and frighten you, and shake the rod at you, after the manner of Egypt, as the Egyptians shook their staff against your fathers at the Red Sea, when they said, We will pursue, we will overtake (Exo 15:9), but could not reach to do them any hurt.” Note, we should not be frightened at those enemies that can do no more than frighten us.

    The storm shall soon blow over (Isa 10:25): Yet a very little while - a little, little while (so the word is), and the indignation shall cease, even my anger, which is the staff in their hand (Isa 10:5), so that when that ceases they are disarmed and disabled to do any further mischief. This is a comfort to everyone who is subjected to persecution, abuse, abasement, etc.. 

    He lifted up his staff against Zion, but God shall stir up a scourge for him (Isa 10:26); he is a terror to God's people, but God will be a terror to him. The destroying angel shall be this scourge, which he can neither flee from nor contend with. 

    They shall be completely delivered from the power of the Assyrian, and from the fear of it, Isa 10:27.  The prophet, for the encouragement of God's people, quotes precedents, and puts them in mind of what God had done formerly against the enemies of His church, who were very strong and formidable, but were brought to ruin. The destruction of the Assyrian shall be, (1.) According to the slaughter of Midian (which was effected by an invisible power, but effected suddenly, and it was a total rout); and as, at the rock of Oreb, one of the princes of Midian, after the battle, was slain, so shall Sennacherib be in the temple of his god Nisroch, after the defeat of his forces, when he thinks the bitterness of death is past. (2.) As his rod was upon the sea, the Red Sea, as Moses' rod was upon that, to divide it first for the escape of Israel and then to close it again for the destruction of their pursuers, so shall his rod now be lifted up, after the manner of Egypt, for the deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Assyrian.. They shall not only be eased of the Assyrian army, which is now quartered upon them and which is a grievous yoke and burden to them, but they shall no more pay that tribute to the king of Assyria which before this invasion he exacted from them (2Ki 18:14), shall be no longer at his service, nor lie at his mercy, as they have done; nor shall he ever again put the country under contribution. Some think it looks further, to the deliverance of the Jews out of their captivity in Babylon; and further yet, to the redemption of believers from the tyranny of sin and Satan. The yoke shall not only be taken away, but it shall be destroyed. The enemy shall no more recover his strength, to do the mischief he has done; and this because of the anointing, for their sakes who were partakers of the anointing. We can take assurance from the fact that Christ is “the anointing.” Christ’s Holy Spirit resides within us, anointing us with His presence.  

    Finally, we finish up those verses leading up to the battle of Armageddon. Next time we will explore the final seven verses of this chapter and find out that Isaiah reveals a bit of “end times” prophecy. Until then, be longsuffering towards your fellow saints.

    ~Eric



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    Sun, Feb 1st - 9:41AM



    BOOK OF ISAIAH STUDY

    The prophet had said (Isa 10:12) that the Lord would perform his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, by Sennacherib's invading the land. Now here we are told what that work should be, a twofold work:

    Isa 10:21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

    Isa 10:22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

    Isa 10:23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

    The conversion of some, to whom this grace should be sanctified and yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness, though for the present it was not joyous, but grievous; these are but a remnant (Isa 10:22), the remnant of Israel (Isa 10:20), the remnant of Jacob (Isa 10:21), but a very few in comparison with the vast numbers of the people of Israel, who were as the sand of the sea. Converting work is accomplished only on a remnant, who are distinguished from the rest and set apart for God. When we see how populous Israel is, how numerous the members of the visible church are, as the sand of the sea, and yet consider that of these a remnant only shall be saved, that of the many that are called there are but few chosen, we shall surely strive to enter in at the strait gate and fear lest we seem to come short. This remnant of Israel are said to be such as had escaped of the house of Jacob, such as escaped the corruptions of the house of Jacob, and kept their integrity in times of common apostasy; and that was a fair escape. And therefore they escape the desolations of that house, and shall be preserved in safety in times of common calamity; and that also will be a fair and narrow escape. Their lives shall be given them for a prey, Jer 45:5. The righteous scarcely are saved. Is this not how it shall be with all of our churches today? Shall each of us escape the desolation of our church? Shall we be part of said remnant? I surely hope so.

    They shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, shall never depend upon the Assyrians, as they have done, for help against their other enemies, finding that they are themselves their worst enemies. Ictus piscator sapit - sufferings teach caution. They have now learned through costly experience the foolishness of depending upon that staff as protection to them which may perhaps prove a staff to beat them. It is part of the covenant of a returning people (Hos 14:3), Assyria shall not save us. Note, by our afflictions we may learn not to make creatures (people) our confidence.

    They shall come home to God, to the mighty God (one of the names given to the Messiah, Isa 9:6), to the Holy One of Israel: “The remnant shall return (that was signified by the name of the prophet's son, Shear-jashub, Isa 7:3), even the remnant of Jacob. They shall return, after the raising of the siege of Jerusalem, not only to the quiet possession of their houses and lands, but to God and to their duty; they shall repent, and pray, and seek his face, and reform their lives.” The remnant that escape are a returning remnant: they shall return to God, and shall stay upon him. Note, those only may with comfort stay upon God that return to Him; then may we have a humble confidence in God when we make conscience of our duty to Him. They shall stay upon the Holy One of Israel, in truth, and not in pretence and profession only. This promise of the conversion and salvation of a remnant of Israel is applied by the apostle (Rom 9:27) to the remnant of the Jews which at the first preaching of the gospel received and entertained it, and sufficiently proves that it was no new thing for God to abandon to ruin a great many of the seed of Abraham in full force and virtue; for so it was now.

    The consumption of others: The Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, Isa 10:23. This is not meant (as that Isa 10:18) of the consumption of the Assyrian army, but of the consumption of the estates and families of many of the Jews by the Assyrian army. This is taken notice of to magnify the power and goodness of God in the escape of the distinguished remnant, and to let us know what shall become of those that will not return to God; they shall be wasted away by this consumption, this general decay in the midst of the land. 

    Observe, 1. It is a consumption of God's own making; he is the author of it. The Lord God of hosts, whom none can resist, shall make this consumption. 2. It is decreed. It is not the product of a sudden resolve, but was before ordained. It is determined, not only that there shall be such a consumption, but it is cut out (so the word is); it is particularly appointed how far it shall extend and how long it shall continue, who shall be consumed by it and who not. 3. It is an overflowing consumption, that shall overspread the land, and, like a mighty torrent or inundation, bear down all before it. 4. Though it overflows, it is not at random, but in righteousness, which signifies both wisdom and equity. God will justly bring this consumption upon a provoking people, but He will wisely and graciously set bounds to it. Hitherto it shall come, and no further. And so shall it be with the churches during the end times. They shall be consumed whom do not truly love Christ, this being those who pay lip service to Christ but have not given their hearts over to worshipping Him in spirit and truth. In the book of Revelation we also read of how God establishes bounds to the extent of the attacks of the Anti-Christ against God’s saints otherwise they would all end up dead.

    That concludes this section of chapter ten, my friends. Next time we shall look at scripture here that speaks about Armageddon. Until then, consider how the scripture covered today signals what shall happen to those who pretend to be Christians only for their own personal gain.

    ~Eric



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    About Me

    Name: Eric Rajaniemi
    ChristiansUnite ID: ejroyal
    Member Since: 2007-09-08
    Location: Bedford, Virginia, United States
    Denomination: Born-again, Church of the Brethren
    About Me: I refrain from any denomination as much as possible since my faith has to do with Jesus Christ and not denominations. My wife and I are charter members of Lake Side Church of the Brethren for they desire to follow the New Testament precepts. I ... more

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