Earth is my footstool, where is the house that ye build unto me, and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been saith the Lord,
but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleeth at
my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man. He that sacrificeeth a lamb as if he cut
off a dog's neck. He that offereth an oblation as if he offered swine's blood. He that burneth
Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighted in their abominations.
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them, because when
I called none did answer, when I spake they did not hear, but they did evil before my
Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name's sake said
Let the Lord be glorified he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed a
Voice of noise from the city a voice from the temple a voice of the Lord that render a threat compensates to his enemies
Before she tribelled she brought forth
Before her pain came she was delivered of a man child
Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day
Or shall a nation be born at once for as soon as Zion prevailed she brought forth her children
Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth say it the Lord child cause to bring forth and shut the boom say it
Thank God
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her.
Rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her, that ye may suck and be satisfied
with the breast of her consolations, that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance
of her glory.
For thus saith the Lord, behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of
the Gentiles like a flowing stream, then shall ye suck, shall be borne upon her sides, and
be dandled upon her knees."
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you,
and shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bones shall flourish like an herb,
and hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants,
and his indignation toward his enemies.
For behold, the Lord will come with fire,
of his chariots like a whirlwind,
to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
For by fire and by a sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst,
eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.
For I know their works and their thoughts shall come that I will gather all nations and tongues,
and they shall come and see my glory.
And I will set a sign among them and I will send those that escape with them on to the
nations to Tarshish, Poland, Lod.
that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan to the isles afar off,
that have not heard my fame, that either have seen my glory,
and that shall declare my glory among the Gentiles,
that shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord,
out of all nations, upon horses, and in chariots and in litters,
and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem,
saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel
And I will also take them for priests and for Levite's sake, the Lord.
For as the new heavens and a new earth will I make shall remain for me saith the Lord
So shall your seed and your name remain
And shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship for me
Say it the Lord shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me for their warmth shall not die
Neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be in a boring unto all flesh spray.
uh, uh, for the book of Isaiah, the Lord, and we thank you for the King James Bible.
We thank you for our pastor.
Please bless him as he preaches your word in Jesus' name, we pray amen.
Amen.
We are in Isaiah 66.
And tonight we conclude the book of Isaiah.
You made it.
To the very end of the book and I'm not going to ask for a raise of hands of who is here
Throughout every single one of them, but hey, what the heck? Let's go ahead and ask brother Mori. You're here
All right, we got to we got hundred dollar gift cards for everyone who made it. Oh, I'm just kidding. We don't
Sorry, you probably get rewarded in heaven though
And I hope you enjoyed the series.
I love the book of Isaiah.
And I want to mention that in the beginning,
when we started in chapter one,
I mentioned the fact that the book of Isaiah
is often referred to as the mini Bible.
And of course, for obvious reasons,
one of the most obvious of them would be the fact
that it has 66 chapters, just as the Bible has 66 books.
And another reason why is because of the fact
that you could almost draw parallels
between the chapters and the Bible itself,
especially when it comes to certain events
throughout history and the 66th chapter of the book of Isaiah focuses a lot on
the 66th book of the Bible which is the book of Revelation and specifically the
battle of Gog and Magog and so we're gonna look at that in just a bit but the
book concludes here with essentially God repaying
his enemies and this is something that was consistent throughout the book of Isaiah
but he concludes it with this because he wants the world to know that they just can't get away
with doing what they've done. There's always a recompense to someone's actions. The world is
going to receive a just reward for their iniquities and God is going to repay them. And what is the
ultimate payment that God institutes upon the world for their wickedness? It's called hell.
right? It's called the lake of fire and obviously when we think about hell which is currently
in the center of the earth as the Lord Jesus Christ described it that is the immediate penalty
that someone receives but the long-term penalty would be the lake of fire right when hell death
and hell are relocated to the lake of fire there shall be weak being and wailing and gnashing
of teeth and of course that is an eternal punishment. This is what the chapter here is
was the latter end.
So let's look at it for a little bit.
Verse one through two,
we're gonna see the man that God esteems.
He says,
let's say the Lord.
The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house that ye build unto me,
and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made,
and all those things have been, sayeth the Lord,
but to this man will I look, even to this that is,
excuse me, even to him that is poor,
and of a contrite spirit, and trembleeth at my word.
And of course, what he's saying here is that,
the person that God looks to, the man that God esteem,
the individual that God actually esteems and recognizes as being someone who is godly
really at the end of the day is the one who is of a poor and contrite
attitude. That's what a spirit is referring to. The spirit is often used synonymously to describe
the attitude. For example, when the Bible talks about being renewed in the spirit of your mind,
it's referring to being renewed in your attitude, having your attitude changed by the Word of God.
And here he says that the man that God looks to...
is the individual who is humble, right?
This is what it means to have a poor and contrite spirit.
Often contrite can be defined as that which is remorseful,
that which is characterized by repentance.
But then he also says,
the person who trembles at my word.
So you think about the God of the Bible
who created all these things.
His hand made it all, all those things have been,
he's the one who brought everything into existence.
The person he looks to more than anything else
is the person who actually gives heat to the word of God
and trembles at his word.
Now what does that mean?
It means that the individual actually esteems
the word of God as being authoritative.
It means that when he hears the word of God,
he reads the word of God,
it's not like water off a duck's back.
It's not like it doesn't bother him at all.
And in fact, it impacts his life.
And it has a major impact in his heart.
And he recognizes, well, God is saying is true.
I'm trembling at his word because everything that God says
will come to pass, right?
The Bible says in Psalm 34 verse 18,
the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart
and save it such as be of a contrite spirit.
Everything about this, you know,
we as Christians don't like to be sad.
Society doesn't like to be sad.
Society does everything humanly possible
to avoid depression and sadness and mourning.
You know, you think of the fact
that our society pushes what?
Anti-depressants.
It's like, oh, you're depressed?
Oh, you should be medicated for that then, you know?
Take anti-depressants until you feel happy once again.
Not only that, but you think of the fact
that people will often, instead of having a funeral,
Which is essentially a ceremony that is meant to mourn the departing of your loved ones. They often have a celebration of life
Right now. I'm not saying that that's anti-bible or it's wrong to do that
But to do it in place of what God institutes as being
you know, a normal reaction, you know, obviously that people who just want to avoid the mournful stage.
And, you know, mourning is very much biblical.
God wants us to weep and mourn and feel grief.
And yes, even in certain instances, be depressed.
Obviously, there's a problem when you're just excessively depressed and you're depressed
to the point where you can't even function as a human being.
You can't function at your job with your family.
However, seasons of depression and sadness are a part of life.
It's part of just the human experience is to feel sadness, to feel mourning, to have that type of spirit.
And, you know, we shouldn't resist those types of emotions.
Why? Because the Bible specifically says that God is nigh unto them who are of a poor and contrite spirit.
So, quite frankly, according to the Bible, you are most closest to God when you are depressed, believe it or not.
When you're feeling sadness, that's actually when you're the closest unto the Lord. God is closest to you
when you're going through those stages of emotion of grief,
sorrow, and hurt because of the fact that God specifically says that He's nying to people who are like that. Why is that?
Well, because depression, sadness, grief often results in humility.
And when someone is humble, God draws nigh into those who are of a humble heart.
If you're prideful, arrogant, the Bible says that God resisted the proud, but he give it grace into the humble the Bible says.
And so if a person is arrogant, they're prideful, they have a certain level of resistance towards God, God wants nothing to do with that.
He is far from that individual,
but he's not into the person who's of a contrite spirit
because they're poor in spirit.
They're humble, they're willing to learn,
they're willing to make things right,
they are willing to be molded by God.
And so this is why God looks to this particular individual
and obviously a humble person
is gonna tremble at the word of God, right?
Not be critical of the word of God.
You know not be cynical of God's precepts and statutes not try to just completely break it down
and not take it serious, they tremble at the word
because of the fact that they understand
that the word of God is quick and powerful,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
that it can pierce even to the dividing
of son of soul and spirit, joints in the marrow,
it's a discerner of the thoughts
and the intents of the heart.
The book of Psalms says that the voice of God
can break the cedars of Lebanon.
It has power, right?
And the man who is poor and contrite,
will tremble at the word of God because they recognize that it has power.
I don't know about you, but I want God to be nigh unto me.
I want to be in the presence of God.
I want God to walk with me.
I want to walk with the Lord.
I want His hand, a blessing to be upon me.
I want God to favor me.
I don't want His hand to be against me.
And so, if that's going to be the case,
I need to make sure that I remain poor in spirit,
that I have a contrite spirit,
but I also make sure that I tremble at the word of God,
meaning that I esteem
what the Bible says.
You know, what does it mean to tremble at the word of God?
It means that when I preach about the consequences of sin,
you don't just brush it off.
So it's like, eh, I'm not really gonna die, you know.
Oh, is that really true though?
That's not someone who trembles at the word.
That's someone who's making a mockery of the Bible, right?
When you talk about the cause and effect of actions
and you say, well, that's for others,
but it's not for me.
I will not suffer the consequences of my actions.
That's not a person who trembles at the word of God.
And I'm not just talking about through preachy.
How about when you just read the Bible yourself?
You know, when you read the Word of God,
you're reading through the precepts of God,
and you see what God says.
You see how terrible God is,
how horrifying his punishments can be,
and what does it do?
It strikes fear in your heart, right?
This is a good thing.
And, you know, just as we have a society that resists depression,
resists being mournful, we also have a society within Christian culture
that seeks to be away as far as possible from the fear of God.
Oh, we're not supposed to be afraid of God.
We shouldn't be afraid of God.
Fear doesn't really mean be afraid.
It means to just respect and reverence.
No, it says here that we're supposed to tremble.
And what does it mean to tremble? It means you shake.
It's causing a sense of fear, nervousness, anxiousness,
afraid, right?
Psalm 51, verse 17, you don't have to turn there.
David says that sacrifices of God are a broken spirit
and a broken and contrite heart, O God,
that will not despise.
We read this earlier in the book of Isaiah.
It says in Isaiah 57, verse 15,
for thus sayeth the high and lofty one
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy,
I dwell in the high and holy place with him also
that is of a contrite and humble spirit.
to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Psalm 119 verse 20 says this,
my flesh, listen to this, my flesh trembles for fear of thee
and I am afraid of thy judgments the Bible says.
What does that mean? It means David took heed to his ways because he knew
that the judgments of God were true.
That there are just consequences to disobeying him. There's just consequences to deviating from the paths of God
And this is what he said my flesh tremboleth for fear of thee. It sounds to me like you it's biblical to be afraid of God
Sounds to me like it's biblical to be horrified be scared. Oh, man, but that's not a right relationship
How is that not a right relationship the fear of the Lord men depart from evil?
When you fear God it causes you not only to get right with God, but it causes you to you know
Create distance between you and sin you and temptation you and evil
so the fear of God is a good thing and
This is what it means when it says that we should tremble at his word, right?
Oh, man, you use fear as a tactic. Yeah
I do, absolutely.
Oh, you're just using fear as a method
to keep church members right with God, absolutely.
Of course, why wouldn't I?
In fact, I use fear all the time.
I use fear to get people saved.
It's called the concept of hell.
Every week we go out, we talk to people about hell.
We give them reverses about hell
because we want to scare them out of the fire, right?
Other save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.
That's funny, I remember, I probably still say it,
but every once in a while, I'll say,
man, that scared the fire out of me.
And obviously, it's another way of saying,
like, you scared the hell out of me, right?
Oh, I scared the fire out of me,
but I would always say, I just say that,
I picked that up from my old IFV church,
and my son, he would repeat that,
but he would get the words mixed up.
That he would say, that scared me, out of the fire.
You know?
He was like, oh man, that scared me out of the fire.
But you know what, fear is used to,
I mean, as far as I know, all of us got saved
because we didn't want to go to hell.
You might have been motivated by other things
such as just wanting eternal life,
the truth is given to you, but every single one of us,
there's not a single person here
that was not motivated to get saved.
You know that because hell wasn't introduced to them obviously we got saved because we don't want to go to hell
We don't want that eternal damnation
We trembled at the word when the gospel was given to us at the reality that we can split hell wide open at any given moment
If we're not saved
Point that I'm making here is that God is specifically saying that that fear should still be in our hearts
Obviously now as Christians we don't fear that we're gonna go to hell
But you know the Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God
And how about this, you know, Hebrews 12, 21 says,
and so terrible was the sight that Moses said,
I exceedingly fear and quake.
I mean, Moses is the original Quaker.
Even he said, you know, the sight of God's presence,
of His holiness, outmount Sinai,
caused him to not only fear,
but he was physically trembling
at the sight of the presence of God.
Now, obviously today in 2025,
we're not gonna get some extraordinary vision of God.
We have the word of God,
and it requires more faith to fear God
because we gotta believe what it actually says.
And you know, if you struggle in your fear of God,
pray God, help me to fear you,
and he will help you fear him.
For sure, okay?
And you say, why?
Well, because of the fact that I want God to be close to you.
You know, I want God to be close to me.
And part of that is making sure
that we tremble at his word.
Now let's read on here verse 3 says he that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man
He that sacrifices a lamb as if he cut as if he cut off a dog's neck
He that offered an ablation as if he offered swine's blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol
Yay, they have chosen their own ways and their soul that lighteth in their abominations now
What is he talking about here? Well, God is rebuking the nation of Judah
just as we saw in the first chapter of Isaiah,
for going through the motions all the while being wicked.
Because he's saying there, you know,
oh, you're killing an ox, referring to that sacrifice
all the while you're slaying a man, right?
Oh, you're sacrificing a lamb, but you're also cutting off a dog's neck.
You're offering an ablation, but you're offering swine's blood.
You know, they're drawing nigh into him with, you know, they're honoring him with their
lips, but they're hard as far from them.
They're being hypocrites.
They're obviously not doing right in the sight of the Lord.
In fact, let's go to chapter one real quick.
Go to chapter one of Isaiah.
Let's look at what he says there.
Now, obviously, God wants us to serve him at any given moment,
right, whether we have sin in our lives or not.
But there comes a point where you just
got to stop being a little hypocrite, though, right?
And, you know, God is not pleased with hypocrisy.
He's not pleased with people just going through the motions.
He wants us to be righteous people, not just in service,
but also in conversation and conduct, right?
And the book of Isaiah is a clear example of that.
Look at Isaiah 1 verse 11, it says,
to what purpose is the multitude
of your sacrifices unto me?
Now answer me this,
was performing the animal sacrifices
right in the eyes of the Lord?
And the answer is yes.
Right God commanded it. This is something that he wanted so they're doing this
But he's saying what's the purpose of it?
Say the Lord I am full of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts
And I delight not in the blood the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he goats when he come to appear before me
Who has required this at your hand to tread my courts?
Bring no more vein ablations
Incense is an abomination unto me the new moons and sabbaths the calling of assemblies
I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting
He's saying look you guys are performing these things, but I'm just sick and tired of you guys assembling together
I mean those are strong words
Because they're all just you know a dent of iniquity basically, right?
It says in verse 14,
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateeth.
Oh, there goes that dirty little word there, hate.
There are a trouble unto me.
I am weary to bear them.
And when you spread forth your hands,
I will hide mine eyes from you.
Yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
So we have an example of God's people going through the motions serving God via these
commandments but all the while they are living a life of sin, they're filled with iniquity,
their hands are full of blood and obviously what he's talking about here are not just
like sins of the mind, he's referring to like some pretty grievous things, right?
You know, and we see there that they're later on that they're adulterers.
They're filled with covetousness.
They are very brazen in their sin, and therefore God is not pleased with that.
Okay.
Let me read to you from Proverbs 21 verse 4.
It says, in a high look and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sin.
So there comes a point where, you know, obviously God wants us to serve him,
but he wants a clean heart, but he also wants clean hands.
And look, we're going to have Christians come through our church or get saved in our church and, you know, they might have sin in their life, right?
You know, they're just worldly people.
And we shouldn't, like, you know, thumb our nose up at them and think that we're better than them because, you know, whatever life that they're living and they're involved in all kinds of sin or whatever.
And you know what, they might even serve God and be involved in sin.
And you know what, that's okay for a period of time.
And in fact, in our church, we have, I have a policy
that I give people a period of grace, right?
You know, you might have people who come into our church
and they're fornicating, right?
Or they're involved in a relationship
where they're fornicating.
Maybe they're involved in drunkenness.
They have some sort of sin that we would look at
according to 1 Corinthians 5
as meriting excommunication from the local church, right?
But you know, and sometimes people like people who listen online have an unrealistic expectation of our church
Or they have this perception of our church that if they're committing these sins
They're just like I'm just never gonna go there ever, but that's not my policy
I'm just gonna be honest with you
Okay, if someone is involved in sin like I give them some time first to come here and get it right
Okay, now I'm not about this, you know, 12 month discipleship program
where we just let the couple fornicate for 12 months
and they'll come around eventually or something like that.
No, it gets to a point where it's just like,
so are you guys married?
No, we're not married.
Are you committing fornication?
Yeah, we are.
Okay, well, here's your options, right?
You hear a sermon on alcohol,
it's time to repent of the alcohol.
What I'm saying is like, there's a grace period.
So when people come to church and they're involved in sin,
our job is to clean them up.
We want to preach to them. We want to develop a good relationship with them because the preaching of God's word helps
But your exhortations on a one-on-one basis also helps right if I'm preaching to them about fornication and drunkenness or whatever
You know it also helps that you have a conversation with them
And they may ask you questions about the sermon and you can back it up and reinforce those teachings and
Help them to develop certain habits or take the necessary steps to get right with God. That's the goal
have this person serve God but also be clean in their hearts and clean in their
hands as well so that three months from now they're not involved in those things
they're serving God right that is the goal but let me tell you something what
isn't the goal is just allowing that person to continue in that sin of
fornication and just turn a blind eye to it that's one thing we're not gonna do
We're just not gonna turn blind a blind eye to
Iniquity to sin and look folks even if it's a sin that doesn't merit excommunication
We're not just turn a blind eye to it
You know for let me give you an example. Okay, you know, we don't throw people out for getting tattoos even though tattoos are a sin
You getting a tattoo is a sin, right?
It's clearly stated in the Bible.
I mean, unless you've been just duped by the non-denom,
Calvinist type churches, you know,
it's pretty obvious that God does not want you to make
printings or markings for the dead on your body.
That's what the Bible clearly says.
And that's not a law that was repealed in the New Testament.
There's no in the New Testament that tells us
that we can go ahead and just get tatted up, okay?
So, you know, but let me say this is that the New Testament
doesn't say that we excommunicate people for doing so either.
So, you know, if someone comes to church and they got their sleeves done
They got you know, they got someone they got saw him 139 on their chest
You know what I mean?
They got do not I hate them a lord that hate thee and I'm not agree with them to rise up against thee on their back
You know, they get Leviticus 2013
Leviticus 2013, you know, and they're just like
We're not gonna throw them out
But you know what we are gonna do is just preach against it though
You know and and they're like hey pastor. Look what I got, you know hate fags
You know, it's just like it's like I approve but you know, I like it, but I'm not gonna approve, you know and
so obviously
It would be wrong for me
To excommunicate that person
But it would be equally wrong for me to just allow that person to think that that type of behavior is permissible
And then it's acceptable in the eyes of God
Right, so it would be wrong for me to be like yeah, I can't throw you out
So you might as well just finish up the artwork, you know, just go finish it up. No, I'm gonna I'm gonna preach against it
I'm gonna say what the Bible says and you know what? I'm a quite frankly. I'm gonna shame it
Why because it's our job to make people holy to make people righteous to improve their conduct
The point that I'm making here is that we as a church need to remain a holy church
Not become a hypocritical church
Where we're serving God at the local New Testament church. We're soul winning
We're reading the Bible, but then we're involved in all kinds of other sin
There's that what I'm saying and look folks. You may think to yourself. Well, you know, I'm a hypocrite then
Well, you know what all of us to a certain degree sometimes struggle with that and that's true
But can we take steps forward though?
Can we take steps in the right direction?
Can we do what the first couple verses said and be have a contrite spirit a poor spirit?
Can we tremble at the word? There's a difference between that and being brazen
Right a brazen individual says I don't care what the pastor says. I'm just gonna continue to do what I'm doing
I don't think it's sin, and you know
I'm just I'm just gonna continue in this path
Whereas God just says if you are a poor and contrite spirit you tremble at the word God will extend mercy unto you
Look what it goes on to say in verse 4, it says,
I also will choose their delusions.
So what about the person who does all these things
and they just get away with it?
Well, here's the thing is that they may be able
to get away with it from other people.
You know, the murder might not be found, right?
The fornicator might not be brought to justice
or the adulterer might not be brought to justice.
But then here's the thing,
God will choose their delusions though.
So just mark it down the God of all the earth will do right the judge of all the earth will do right
And he's saying there, you know, you're doing all these things brazenly. I'm gonna send forth. I'm gonna choose your delusion
Meaning that he's gonna give you
An imagination he's gonna cause you to believe a lie. He's gonna mess with your mind
And that's one thing you don't want God to do
I don't want God to take my legs.
I don't want God to cause me to get in a car accident.
I don't want to get lung cancer,
but you know what, for sure I don't want,
I don't want to lose my mind.
And you know, it's just kind of scary.
He says, choose your, what do you mean choose?
There's more than one delusion you can give me?
He like goes into his cabinet and is just like,
let's see what we got here.
You know, pulls out the delusion cabinet
and it's just like, this one's really strong, you know?
And by the way, he has one called strong delusion.
You know what I mean?
That he's gonna pull out in the end times.
But he's saying here that he can cause people
to believe a lie.
And look, we as God's people,
you know, we are centered around what?
We esteem and boast of truth.
The ability to be sober-minded.
The ability to be able to be sharp in our minds,
to think clearly, right?
to be able to discern, to be able to understand,
to have knowledge and wisdom.
These are all things that require a mind
that is able to withstand such truths, right?
The capacity to be able to understand certain things,
to discern situations, to make decisions,
to make judgments.
What if God just removes that from you
and gives you a strong delusion?
It's possible.
And look what he says I will also I also will bring their choose their delusions and will bring their fears upon them
That's even scarier
So he's got one cabinet says delusions the other one says, you know Kelly French iskene's fears and
Think about this, you know, you're like, oh, you know, I think I can handle well guys
Well, can you though because God knows our deepest darkest fears?
Because we're all afraid of something
Okay, some of you are afraid of dark
I'm afraid of the light sometimes not because you know
I grew out of the being afraid of the dark because now I pay bills
And I got kids with toys to just leave around. I'm afraid of the I'm afraid of the light now
The only thing I'm afraid of the dark is like stepping on the Lego
I'm not afraid of the monster that used to chase me to my room as soon as I turn off the light, okay
But you know all of us have fears and there's something that you fear
Everyone has a fear and you know the craziest thing about that is God can flourish in that fear
He could bring it to pass if you wanted to
Isn't that the most horrifying thought ever I?
Mean just just take two seconds right now to think about your deepest
Fear what is the thing that you fear the most in this life?
Happening to you to your children to your health whatever may be you know none of us know it
But God can hear the inner recesses of the heart and he knows what you're afraid of and
The Bible says here that he can bring those fears upon you
Now why would he do this to them he says because when I called
None did answer when I spake they did not hear but they did evil before my eyes and chose that in which I delighted not
Let me explain another way of saying this you mocked me
Because what does he mean when he says,
I called and none did answer?
God's trying to cause Judah to repent, to get right.
He's using prophets like Isaiah to get them right,
and they're just ignoring it.
He's using the preaching of God's word.
He's using the word of God.
He's speaking, and what do they do?
They just do evil before his eyes,
and they don't choose that which he delights in,
which is to be righteous.
And so what does he do?
Okay, then I'm just gonna bring delusions upon you.
I'm gonna bring fears upon you.
I'm gonna allow you to just be afraid.
And you know who this reminds me of is Nebuchadnezzar.
I can't prove it, but I'm assuming that the thing
that Nebuchadnezzar was most afraid of
is just being a beast.
You just never know,
because that was such a random thing to happen to him.
Like he lost his mind and just became like an animal.
Nails growing out, you know, his hair growing out.
They're like thrusting him out of the kingdom.
He's afraid of being a vegan.
He's like, oh man, it'd be horrible to be,
but then he becomes one.
He's eating grass like an ox.
He's like, that would probably be the most horrible thing
that could ever happen to me for like seven years.
God knew, and it's just like,
I'm gonna bring your delusions.
And he gave him that delusion.
Now I can't prove that that was his greatest fear,
but you know what, it might have been though.
Because it was so creative, and it got him right with God.
And so, how can we apply this to us today?
Well, how about this?
When God calls answer, when he speaks, listen.
And choose that which God delights in.
Not what God hates, knowing full well
that you're just brazenly sinning against God,
you're not willing to get right with God.
You know, choose life, my friend.
So how does God call well through the preaching of God's word?
But also through your own personal Bible reading and I think everyone in here can attest to a point where they're reading something in the Bible
And you know that God was talking directly to you
You know for a fact like oh man like the Spirit of God is like upon me and it's not to preach the gospel
It's just it's just instilling fear in my heart right now
Keep short accounts with God
Stay right with God, stay humble, tremble at the word.
And when he calls, make sure you pick up an answer
and don't ignore it.
Because I'm telling you right now,
the more you ignore it, the more you hit snooze,
the more you hit voicemail, the more you hit whatever,
the more likely those delusions and the fears
will come upon you because he will get the results
that he wants one way or another.
You will.
Now, obviously, this speaks to a broader interpretation regarding times because of the fact that, you know, the delusions that he chooses for those of this world is reprobation, unfortunately.
They choose to believe the lie that the Antichrist is God.
Let me read it to you in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9 says even him who's coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved
For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie
Now, what is it saying here? It's saying that because people rejected the gospel because they're not willing to listen to the saving knowledge
The message of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say?
He's gonna send them the delusion that the Antichrist is God
They're gonna worship him. They're gonna believe on him
They're gonna think he is Jesus
And it says here, it tells us why God sends them
that strong delusion, he says in verse 12,
that they all might be damned who believe not the truth
but have pleasure and unrighteousness.
It sounds to me like God did it so they can go to hell.
Pretty strong words there.
How can a loving God, this is how a loving God does it.
And you know what?
Sometimes people don't realize how vengeful God can get.
I mean, he sends him the strong delusion
with the intent to just damn them all to hell.
And this is New Testament.
Let me reach you from Proverbs 1.26.
This is God speaking.
I will also laugh at your calamity.
Ah!
I'm assuming it's something like that
Calamity means like your destruction
And he says I will mock when your fear cometh which is basically what we see in Isaiah 66
Right. He says he's gonna mock when there when the fear comes upon them
So it's just like your greatest fear comes upon you. You're just like, oh, no, God's like. Oh, no. Oh, no
That's what it means
What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do and God's like
Woo, what am I gonna do?
It's not so funny now, is it?
When your fear cometh as a desolation
and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind.
Man, that's terrifying.
What does it mean by whirlwind?
It's like a tornado.
Meaning that you're just engulfed in destruction.
You know, we've all had instances in our lives
when our world just seems to be just spiraling
out of control, right?
Where you're just like everything's just going wrong.
That's what the whirlwind of destruction is referring to.
When nothing in your life goes right,
everything is completely falling apart.
It's turned upside down.
He says, your fear comeeth as a desolation,
your destruction comeeth as a whirlwind.
When distress and anguish comeeth upon you,
it's just like,
ha, ha, ha.
And then he says, then shall they call upon me.
God help me.
But I will not answer
There's your loving God, right?
He says I'm not gonna answer you and
That's crazy
Because he's saying like all this stuff's happening to you
I'm gonna laugh at you and then you're gonna call upon me, and I'm just not even gonna listen
They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me that is a terrifying place to be
Folks, I don't know about you, but I want to like, you know
Take possession of the verse that says call him to me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things
Which now know it's not
That's a good verse. I
Want to you know claim the verses that says you know that he wants to show himself strong on the behalf of them
Who's hardest perfect with him? I want God's blessing on my life. I don't want to have to pray and then God just mocks my prayer
God, please help me. He's just like God. Please help me
Why won't you help me? Why would you?
Please please
You know that's what he says he's gonna do
Why because you made a mockery of God
You made a mockery of these things you're mocking Christianity
And we're not saying that you're making a mockery by just living in sin
But how about this just making a mockery of the service of God and not being willing to get right with God
You hear a sermon like this and you're just like
Pastor stupid
He's just being theatrical. That's called making a mockery
And then you know what God says like we'll see who laughs hardest
Let's let's let's see who who has the best punch line and you know God always has the best punch line
You know he always has the last laugh
And, you know, we can, we can stay here in debate.
Does this happen to Christians?
I think it does.
I believe it does.
You say, well, it proved it to me.
How about Saul?
He called and unanswered.
Bro had to go to the witch at Endor
to even get any kind of answer.
And he was just afraid.
He was terrified.
His greatest fear came upon him.
He's a he even said like oh, you know pierced me through let's these
Uncircumcised abused me meaning that he's afraid that they're gonna abuse him and what do they end up doing they abused him
Now Saul's in heaven
Because he was saved
But that's it that is a perfect example of someone who called upon the Lord and God just like I'm not listening. I'm mocking you
He didn't make a mockery of Saul because he allowed him to get pinned to a wall.
He was decapitated, his body was mutilated, and they took his body and just pinned it against the wall for everyone to see.
That's what you call a closed casket.
I mean, that's not an honorable death.
And you know what?
God did that because he was angry with Saul.
So, you know, I would say yes,
he can do that to Christians, for sure.
People can go far.
Look at verse five.
Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word.
Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my namesake said let the Lord be glorified
But he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed. What is he saying?
You know, he's he's highlighting the mockery of God's enemies. He's like look those of you who are trembling at the word of God
Your brethren are hating you and they're mocking you say oh, let the Lord be glorified
But at the end of the day you are going to appear or he shall appear to your joy and
He's going to be the one to be ashamed and
This is just simply showing that you know
You know you shouldn't be surprised when when the enemies of God mock you and mock me and mock us as Christians
Always going to happen, right?
I mean think about when Jesus Christ was crucified. He was on the cross
What do they do if he be the king of Israel let him come down from the cross and we will believe him
What are they just mocking him?
Making a mockery and the Bible tells us in Jude or 17
But beloved remember ye the words which are spoken before the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
How that they told you that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lust look at verse 6 if you would
So verses 6 to 11
is referring to her addressing the deliverance of Jerusalem.
He says, a voice of noise from the city,
a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord
that rendereth recompense to his enemies.
Before she travailed, she brought forth.
Before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
Who hath heard such a thing?
Who hath seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion prevailed, she brought forth her children.
Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord?
Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb, saith thy God?
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, be glad with her.
All ye that love her, rejoice for her.
Rejoice for joy with her all you that mourn for her that you may suck and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation
That you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory now
What is this referring to because obviously that seems like very cryptic what he's saying here obviously we got to take it at its
Main interpretation which is that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed right?
Judgment is going to come upon Jerusalem. There's enemies of Jerusalem coming to get it
But God is saying your deliverance is going to be speedy though
Okay, and he's using this analogy here of a woman giving birth
Because he says like you know who has heard such a thing of a woman about to give birth and then there's no travailing
And then the baby's just there
Right like you know obviously women go through a lot of pain during childbirth, right?
But he's saying like who has heard such a thing for a child to be delivered without any pain whatsoever
Okay
It's it's it's not something that's very common basically right now. There's a lot of fast births out there for sure
But he's using this analogy to say like childbearing often carries with it travail and pain
But the deliverance of Jerusalem which can be compared to that child
Bearing pain will not even be present. They're just gonna be able to be made new
The baby's gonna come and just that's it.
That's what he's referring to.
The deliverance of Jerusalem will be instant
is what he's referring to there.
That's what he's talking about.
And this can be compared to a couple of different things.
This is figurative of a couple of different things.
First and foremost, think about this.
Salvation happens in an instant, right?
The Bible talks about being born again.
It's not a process, you know,
for the preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness, but into us which are saved.
But it is the power of God.
Not what the NKJB says, but in to us which are being saved.
And you know, a lot of these non-denoms, heretical type churches, they always describe salvation
as being a process.
Oh, it's a process.
I remember years ago when we, when I helped start a church plant.
We had a member of our church that, you know,
he got saved there, and he got baptized,
he got really plugged in, but you know,
there's some things that happened in the church,
and you know, he ended up having to leave,
not because we kicked him out, just he felt that,
as though he probably should just go somewhere else
because of his family.
And he ended up going to like this,
those cholo type churches.
What are those called again?
Victory Outreach, okay?
And yes, that's a cholo church.
Okay, so he ended up going to this and you know
he he was saved and he went there and
You know, I guess he served there. I'm not exactly sure how much he did what he did there
But unfortunately he was he was murdered, you know
He eventually he was murdered because you know a lot of these cholo churches don't really tell you to change
like your look and
So, you know, he still looked like a gangbanger and stuff
And, you know, he had some issues with someone,
not at the church, but just elsewhere,
and he ended up getting killed.
And it was a really sad situation.
He was a really good guy.
I really liked him a lot.
And I remember going to his funeral,
and we were the only ones from our church,
there were the fundamental baths that were there,
but everyone else was like the victory outreach types, right?
And it was just really sad to see everyone talk about him
because they were just unsafe people.
And I'm thinking to myself, the only safe people here
is me, the guy who came with me,
and the guy who's in the casket.
And some of his family members who used to go to church
because no one is safe here based upon what they're talking.
Because the pastor's getting up, he's just like,
people don't understand, you know?
Because they're trying to make excuses
as to why he died that way.
And they're just like, you know, salvation is a process.
You know, just get it right away.
It's a process.
And I'm thinking to myself, you're going to hell!
And you know, the guy who's in the casket who's in heaven,
he's probably thinking, if he could hear what was being said,
he's probably like, no, I'm here,
like not by works of righteousness, which I have done.
Folks, salvation happens in an instant.
When does it happen?
Once you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
not once you believe again and again and again and again
and again, you gotta keep placing your faith in him.
No, it just happens once and for all, right?
And obviously you have false prophets that teach one thing
and then you have people who believe that doctrine
but they're not necessarily false prophets,
they're just confused.
On Tuesday, we went out souling
and I was out with my family
and I ran into this kid, he's 11 years old,
or no, no, he's 13, right, 13 years old
and the kid was just sharp, a sharp kid.
And I was giving him the gospel
and he's just like, oh yeah, it's by repenting of your sin.
And I'm like, no.
And I started giving him all these verses
and he's just like, like the light bulbs going on.
And then, you know, halfway through the gospel presentation,
he's like, can I interrupt you real quick?
Let me just ask you something.
He's like, what happens if I sin, though?
Like, what if I just keep sinning?
What happens to me then?
And then I just started explaining to him that, you know,
salvation happens in an instant and includes with it
the forgiveness of all sins past, present, and future.
And you can see the spirit of God working in this kid.
Because as soon as I told him that, he's just like,
like it was just new to him.
And the kid called upon the name of the Lord, he got saved.
And you know what?
I don't have to wonder, I hope he's still being saved.
I hope, you know, he's just starting on that journey
because heart is the way that leadeth unto life.
No, he got saved.
because the birth happens in an instant.
And so this is describing the deliverance of Jerusalem
that happens in an instant, salvation is in an instant.
And you know what?
The resurrection is also in an instant.
In fact, let me read to you from John 3 before I get into the resurrection this is in John 3 6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit of spirit
Marvel not that I say into the you must be born again
The wind bloweth where it listed and now here is the sound thereof
But can't not tell when to come it or whether it goes so as everyone that is born of the spirit in other words
It's just like boom what you believe like the spirit just regenerates you immediately and it's not like
You know Lord saving
Like the spirit just hits you and you just lift it up or whatever, you know
You don't see it you hear it because you're hearing the word of God
You hear the truth you believe the truth and then it just your spirit is
Regenerated at that moment it happens in an instant. It's not like am I getting saved right now?
I think I'm getting saved right now
You know half of me is saved right now. Let's finish up this prayer
As soon as you believe and you call upon the name of the Lord,
it's like, do you get saved when you believe?
Do you say when you call upon the name of the Lord?
It just happens in an instant once you do both.
First Corinthians 15 also explains to us that what?
That the resurrection, the transfiguration of the body
happens in an instant.
The deliverance, right?
Happens in an instinct he says behold I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trump shall sound and then shall be raised incorruptible
And we shall be changed the Bible says
So, you know, I know we want
like the anime style
Transfiguration of the body
You know everything's just changing
Because we've watched so many movies and anime I don't watch anime, but you guys have you know
You know, I know you and we want that but the Bible just says it just it's an instantaneous
And it says literally the twinkle of it. So even if you want to like catch it
It's just like don't blink
It's just like before you know it is just it's just there
We shall all be changed
the deliverance of Jerusalem is what the Lord is saying the deliverance of
Jerusalem is going to be instant and he says they're like who had heard such a
thing who had seen such a thing
Salvation is the same way the resurrection is the same way and the new heaven and the new earth will be the same way
Which it comes full circle back to Jerusalem because he's describing
Jerusalem being delivered in an instant, but in like manner the new Jerusalem will descend in an instant as well
The earth shall be transfigured in an instant because when new Jerusalem descends upon the earth
It is essentially, you know synonymous with
spirit descending into our bodies at the resurrection. So that happens in an
instant and the transfiguration, the glorification of the earth happens in an
instant when the New Jerusalem descends and changes the world. It's pretty
amazing. Look at verse 12 if you would. For they'll say the Lord behold I will
extend peace to her like a river.
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream, they shall, then shall you suck, you shall be born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees.
As one whom his mother comforted, comforteth,
so will I comfort you,
and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
And when you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
your bones shall flourish like an herb
and the hand of the Lord shall be known
toward his servants and his indignation toward his enemies.
So this is just simply describing
the consolation of Jerusalem during that time.
Look at verse 15, for behold, the Lord will come with fire.
And with this cherry, it's like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire, for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine, flesh and the abomination and the mouse shall be consumed together, say, at the Lord.
Now go to Revelation chapter 20, if you would. Revelation chapter 20.
Because I believe that this is actually someone
describing the battle of Gog and Magog that actually takes
place before the great white throne judgment.
And when you look at this in the book of Revelation basically the chronology is you have the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19
Okay, where Jesus comes with his armies and he comes to make war with the Antichrist and the false prophet
Of course, he just whoops him he takes the Antichrist to the false prophet throws him into the lake of fire
And then you know everyone just gets murked in that war and then he what does he do?
He sets up his millennial reign in Revelation chapter 20
And then we get into, then after the thousand years are over,
then Satan is let out for a season.
Actually, let's read it, look at verse four.
He says, And I saw thrones and they that sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them,
and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God,
and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads
or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ
a thousand years.
So this is essentially referring to the fact that
The persecution gets a rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
Now, obviously people are like, oh, but this is, it seems like the only people who are ruling and
reign with Christ are those who don't receive the mark upon their foreheads.
Not just all believers. Well, no believer is going to get the mark of the beast.
So this would actually apply to us too, even if it doesn't happen in our lifetime,
because we don't have the mark of the beast.
And what this is referring to is the endurance, the patience of the saints.
Those who endure the Christian life
Who make it until the end
Serve God until the end will be rewarded with authority and we can see that according to Revelation chapter 2
Okay, he that overcometh and keepeth my works until the end to them
Will I give power over the nations power over the nations is coupled right here with ruling and reign with Christ for a thousand years
And this is the vacation that we've been looking for, right?
I mean, we get to rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
He says in verse 5,
but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
And since you're referring to the fact that, you know,
the resurrection, the first resurrection,
referring to when the rapture takes place,
that's who that first group is talking about.
But then there's all kinds of believers that get saved, right?
After the rapture, during the wrath of God, those three and a half years,
a lot of people that get saved.
and some of them die, and what happens?
They don't get to experience the millennial reign, okay?
They don't live again, essentially they are in heaven,
so they don't get resurrected
until the thousand years are complete.
And the Bible doesn't see fit to even describe
the second resurrection is just implied, okay?
Because the focal point of the resurrection
is that first resurrection.
The second resurrection is referring to the gleaning of the corners of the field so to speak of the remainder of the souls
That need to be saved during that time. Okay
Now look at verse 6. He says blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection
Implying that there's a second on such the second death hath no power
But they shall be priests of God enough Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years
So between verse 6 and 7 a thousand years passes by
Verse 7, and when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and
Shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. So what do we have here?
Well in the right before the establishment of the millennial reign
the Lord
Essentially sends the Antichrist of the false prophet to the bottomless pit, which is the lake of fire
But he also sends the sends the devil there as well Satan
And he's bound there for a thousand years.
So, him and his two buddies basically get the lake of fire all to themselves for those thousand years.
But then God allows Satan to come out after those thousand years with the intent to deceive the nations into fighting against God for one last battle.
Which is crazy if you think about it.
Because, think about this friends.
You have a thousand years of Jesus Christ physically being present on this earth
right and
You have a thousand years of his presence
You have a thousand years of his employees his his kings and priests
Not dying
Right. They're not dying
Because the resurrected can never die
So, you know, let's just throw out a hypothetical scenario.
Okay?
You know, sometimes throughout the millennial reign, you know, there's some group of radicals
out there.
They're just like, we're going to serve the authority and let's get swords and spears.
And they're just like stabbing you and it's just like nothing's happening.
You know, like these people are just not.
And then like generation after generation after generation lives and dies and this guy's
just still sticking around.
Bruce Mejia is just still there you know and he has a white robe right he has
his white horse he's riding through the snow with no feeling of you know of
being cold or hot he's just living forever and ever and so obviously people
like humanity at this time has a thousand years to experience this very
It's a different history my friends like that's a different era of history than what we have now
Because people are going to be talking about this for hundreds of years
Regarding these regenerated people
Known as the kings and priests of Christ and then there's only one ruler there rules over everything. That's Jesus Christ
He's teaching the nations and he's been he's a benevolent dictator
You know, he's obviously he's ruling with the rod of iron, but he's very benevolent because he's God
And it's like the greatest time in history, right?
So just keep that in mind.
All that is happening.
And then Satan comes out and was just like,
hey, you guys wanna like beat them?
And he's just like, yeah, let's do it.
I mean, this is a strong delusion.
And you kind of wonder like,
doesn't anybody say, so how are we gonna do this?
We're gonna like defeat God?
So what's the plan though?
Like I know the goal, but what's what's the method?
How are we gonna do this? How do you fight a supernatural being?
with physical flesh
But the deception that Satan sends forth is so strong that they believe they're like, yeah, let's do it
So they shall go out to deceive that he shall go out to deceive the nations
Which are on the four quarters of the earth gawk and may gawk to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea
Which is just mind-blowing if you think about it because in spite of the thousand years of Jesus Christ's
Benevolent reign you're gonna have a
multitude which is as the sand of the sea who hate the Lord Jesus Christ
Now let me just give you a side note here. This shows you that
Even if Jesus were the president of the United States
There's still gonna be wicked people here
A cultural reform can only do so much
because we're going to have a time in history
where Jesus himself is ruling and reigning
and yet people will gather together
as the sand of the sea to fight against him.
Why? Because at the end of the day,
what's the problem?
Sin, corruptible flesh is the problem.
He says in verse nine and they went up on the breadth of the earth and
compass the camp of the saints about and the beloved city.
So their tactic is like, well, let's just surround the beloved city and
it's possible it's referring to Jerusalem.
And you know, it's just funny because we're there and the Lord Jesus Christ is there.
And they're like, compassing us about, and you're like, why don't they fight back?
Why isn't Jesus telling us to fight back?
Why aren't we doing anything?
Well, because what the Lord is doing here is just making them all gathered together into one spot
So he can just just flame throw them
Because he says and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them
So they're like, you know, they're doing the Naruto whatever you guys are, you know
They're derudering towards the Lord Jesus Christ and God's like it just wipes them all out just in one show
Just like light work no reaction
Just takes them all out because it's not it's not really like a it. It's not like a they don't pose a threat
So it's not like they're they're dangerous or anything like that
God's just like I'm just allowing you guys to all gather band together
So I could just so I don't have to send one fire over here one fire over there
Just get them all together and just flame them right there
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and
Shall be tormented day and night forever and ever and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whom
From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them
So go back to Isaiah if you would we're gonna finish up here
Now let me skip some of these parts here verse 18 through 20 is essentially just talking about the fact
That the nations are going to come and worship the Lord. This is referring to the new heaven and new earth
we see this in Revelation 21 where the the nation shall bring their glory into
That that have that heavily Jerusalem that descends into the city and there's not going to be day or night there because
The glory of the Lord shall shine forth in it look at verse 21 if you would
He says that I will also take of them for priests and for Levi say the Lord for as the new heavens and the new earth will I make
which I will make shall remain before me, sayeth the Lord,
so shall your seed and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another
shall all flesh come to worship before me."
And here's verse 24,
and they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses
of the men that have transgressed against me,
for their worms shall not die,
neither shall their fire be quenched.
and they shall be in abhorring unto all flesh." Now I do believe that he is actually describing
a literal instance when Jerusalem was originally delivered where God maybe supernaturally sends
forth fire upon the enemies of God. He destroys them and God's people are walking possibly through
the fields and they're looking at all these corpses that are on fire, you know, the worms not dying,
So we can obviously see that that's the literal interpretation but because we have the New Testament
We also know that this is also figurative of the lake of fire
Because it says that the worm shall not die neither shall the fire be quenched and there shall be an abhorring of all flesh
And this is exactly how Jesus Christ describes hell
He says this where it's the place where the warm dieth not and the fire is not quenched now
It's of my personal interpretation that when he says the warm dieth not it's actually referring to the body
because of the fact that when people are cast into the lake of fire,
prior to that, they're reunited with their physical body.
We see this in Revelation chapter 20,
that the sea gives up their dead,
and we see that their damn souls are reunited with their corpses,
with the intent of casting both into the lake of fire.
Which is why Jesus Christ says in Matthew chapter 10 fear not them which can kill the body but afterwards can do nothing
But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell
And the reason he cast the body into hell is because that's going to be the place where it just
Eternally burns and it's not consumed you know people who believe in annihilation
Is them and all this stuff is like well, you know, they don't they just kind of burn up or it's not it's figurative
No, they just burn forever
God has access to fire that can burn you
and not completely disintegrate you at the same time.
If you don't believe me,
just read the story of the burning bush.
When Moses looks upon the burning bush
and he's just like, it's on fire, but it's not consumed.
Meaning it's not being like, you know,
completely devoured by the fire and disappearing.
It's remaining.
And so that is what the lake of fire is referring to there.
And, you know, this is essentially referring to the fact that in the end of the world,
this is the fate of the lost.
At the end of the day, this is the fate of the lost, that they're going to be cast into
the lake of fire, both soul and body, and you know, they're going to be there forever.
And this is the sobering thought that Isaiah finishes off with, the reality of hell.
And you know what?
We need to be reminded of this constantly, right?
Because we can often neglect or forget the importance of getting other people saved,
our family saved, our friends saved, our cousins, our sisters, our brothers,
the lost people we just don't even know about.
And we can often become like callous to that if we're not careful.
But when we read about this everlasting fire, it kind of helps us to remember like,
we have a purpose in this life.
And, you know, I think like a lot of times Christians are not going to realize the severity
of this consequence until that great white throne takes place and they see their loved
ones, they see their friends, they see people who should have preached the gospel to, being
cast into the lake of fire.
And that's one of the reasons why I believe the Bible says in Revelation 21 that he has
to wipe away our tears.
because of all the mourning and the grief
that we have of seeing our loved ones
and the fact that we're never gonna see them again
because they're being cast into the lake of fire.
And so what should we finish off with
when it comes to the book of Isaiah?
Well, just as if we were to finish off the book
of Revelation, it should motivate us
to go and get more people saved, right?
To realize that God is a just God,
that he will deliver his people in an instant.
and he will execute righteousness and judgment
upon the wicked in an instant as well.
And so, great book there, amen.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you so much for the book of Isaiah.
We're so thankful for all of the wonderful precepts
and statues that it's taught us, Lord,
and how much it's helped us as Christians to be righteous.
Help us as your people, Lord, to adhere to,
give heed to what we learned over these last 66 plus weeks.
Maybe we took two weeks or so to go over a chapter, Lord,
but I pray that we not soon forget
everything that we've learned, Lord.
And thank you so much for the book of Isaiah.
And Lord, may you be honored and glorified through our lives.
Help us not to be hypocrites.
Help us to not reflect the nation of Judah.
Though they were your people, Lord, sometimes they just lived wickedly and they
cured the wrath of God upon their own lives, Lord. And I pray that you'd help
us to take these things to heart. We love you. We thank you. Pray these things in
Jesus' name. Amen.