The Book of Isaiah is called the “mini-Bible”. It has 66 chapters. The Bible has 66 books. As we dig into the last chapters of Isaiah’s prophecies, we find that the Book of Revelation reflects, even confirms, what Isaiah prophesied in 700 BC. Almost 800 years before John wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ. In these next 2 chapters, we have Jesus speaking, then Isaiah praising and pleading with God for redemption and salvation. Let’s dig in….
Isaiah 63 – Judgment against the Lord’s Enemies
Who is this who comes from Edom,
from the city of Bozrah,
with his clothing stained red?
Who is this in royal robes,
marching in his great strength?“It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation!
It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!”2 Why are your clothes so red,
as if you have been treading out grapes?3 “I have been treading the winepress alone;
no one was there to help me.
In my anger I have trampled my enemies
as if they were grapes.
In my fury I have trampled my foes.
Their blood has stained my clothes.
4 For the time has come for me to avenge my people,
to ransom them from their oppressors.
5 I was amazed to see that no one intervened
to help the oppressed.
So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm,
and my wrath sustained me.
6 I crushed the nations in my anger
and made them stagger and fall to the ground,
spilling their blood upon the earth.”
Praise for Deliverance
7 I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
8 He said, “They are my very own people.
Surely they will not betray me again.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering he also suffered,
and he personally rescued them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them.
He lifted them up and carried them
through all the years.
10 But they rebelled against him
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he became their enemy
and fought against them.11 Then they remembered those days of old
when Moses led his people out of Egypt.
They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea,
with Moses as their shepherd?
Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit
to be among his people?
12 Where is the one whose power was displayed
when Moses lifted up his hand—
the one who divided the sea before them,
making himself famous forever?
13 Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea?
They were like fine stallions
racing through the desert, never stumbling.
14 As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
You led your people, Lord,
and gained a magnificent reputation.”
Prayer for Mercy and Pardon
15 Lord, look down from heaven;
Isaiah 63 NLT
look from your holy, glorious home, and see us.
Where is the passion and the might
you used to show on our behalf?
Where are your mercy and compassion now?
16 Surely you are still our Father!
Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us,
Lord, you would still be our Father.
You are our Redeemer from ages past.
17 Lord, why have you allowed us to turn from your path?
Why have you given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear you?
Return and help us, for we are your servants,
the tribes that are your special possession.
18 How briefly your holy people possessed your holy place,
and now our enemies have destroyed it.
19 Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you,
as though we had never been known as your people.
Salvation or Judgment?
Are you an enemy of God?
Jesus came preaching Salvation. If you reject the Good News — the message of Salvation — then you will get the message of condemnation and judgment. You will be an enemy of God.
Here’s John’s vision of this from Revelation…
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Revelation 19:11-16 NLT
These verses were also the inspiration for the classic, Battle Hymn of the Republic…
Pastor Sandy Adams wraps up chapter 63…
He moans the loss of the God’s “sanctuary,” or His holy Temple. The Israelis only had it “a little while” [or “briefly”]. Over last 1945 years the Jews have possessed their land just 67 of those years. For the last 19 centuries they’ve never had a Temple. What sits on the Temple Mount today [is the Muslim Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock — a monument to Mohamed]. Thus, the Jews are unable to offer a legitimate, legal sacrifice to God. [The last temple was the one destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD]
As a result, Judaism has been an obsolete religion! The Jewish religion has been impossible to obey. As Isaiah says, it’s as if the Hebrew people have never had a relationship with God, or been “called by His name.” This is the cry of an honest Jew today. He is tormented by the realization of both God’s holiness, but his religion’s hollowness. Jesus will return to deliver Israel, but right now He waits until she’s ready to repent.
Sandy Adams [my corrections and additions in brackets]
Going on…
Isaiah 64
Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!
How the mountains would quake in your presence!
2 As fire causes wood to burn
and water to boil,
your coming would make the nations tremble.
Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
3 When you came down long ago,
you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
And oh, how the mountains quaked!
4 For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
5 You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
7 Yet no one calls on your name
or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us
and turned us over to our sins.8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
Isaiah 64 NLT
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
9 Don’t be so angry with us, Lord.
Please don’t remember our sins forever.
Look at us, we pray,
and see that we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities are destroyed.
Zion is a wilderness;
yes, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin.
11 The holy and beautiful Temple
where our ancestors praised you
has been burned down,
and all the things of beauty are destroyed.
12 After all this, Lord, must you still refuse to help us?
Will you continue to be silent and punish us?
What Isaiah describes here is the Great Tribulation. John, in Revelation 6-19 goes into great detail as to what this will look like.
Verse 6 – Good Works Don’t Pay for Sin
If you try to cover your sins with good works or deeds, to God, those good deeds are like filthy rags or withered autumn leaves that are rotting and the wind will blow them away. In other words, you are not saved by good works, or good deeds, or religious rites, or doctrines, or ANYTHING we humans by ourselves can ever do! Salvation, Eternal Life in Heaven, Forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit can only be obtained by sincere repentance and submitting your life to Jesus Christ. Related: Are you Good Enough to Get into Heaven?
Verse 7 Describes the World Today
And this is echoed in several New Testament passages…
12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24:12 NLT
The world has turned away from God. So He turned us over to our sins. Depravity, debauchery, evil, lawlessness, apostasy, apathy — we are consumed by sin.
Paul warned Timothy…
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT
Likewise, he also warned the Galatians…
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Galatians 5:19-25 NLT
We are But a Lump of Clay in God’s Hands
God works for you if you wait for Him, if you submit your life to Him, if you allow Him to mold you into the person He needs you to be. You CAN become the person He created you to be with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Every single human being was created in the image of God. However, not everyone is a Child of God. You become a Child of God when you are born again. Until then, you are an enemy of God. Period.
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…
The Potter’s Hand
Soli Deo Gloria! To God Alone Be the Glory!
Left Behind After the Rapture Series
