Wednesday, November 8, 2017

eschatology, Day of Reckoning (Is.2-3)

In the second chapter of Isaiah, we find a description of how it will be at the end of the Tribulation, at the battle of Armageddon (Jesus' second coming).  Then in chapter 3, we also find a few descriptions of what will happen in the Tribulation itself (ie. lack of bread [Revelation 6:6], lack of water [Revelation 11:6], child will turn against parents [Matthew 10:21], etc.)...

(Isaiah 2:10-21)  Enter the rock and hide in the dust
From the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.
11 The proud look of man will be abased
And the loftiness of man will be humbled,
And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and lofty
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be abased.
13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,
Against all the oaks of Bashan,
14 Against all the lofty mountains,
Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15 Against every high tower,
Against every fortified wall,
16 Against all the ships of Tarshish
And against all the beautiful craft.
17 The pride of man will be humbled
And the loftiness of men will be abased;
And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18 But the idols will completely vanish.
19 Men will go into caves of the rocks
And into holes of the ground
Before the terror of the Lord
And the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.
20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats
Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs
Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.
22 Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For why should he be esteemed?


(Isaiah 3:1-12)  For behold, the Lord God of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread

And the whole supply of water;
The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
The captain of fifty and the honorable man,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
And I will make mere lads their princes,
And capricious children will rule over them,
And the people will be oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
The youth will storm against the elder
And the inferior against the honorable.
When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler,
And these ruins will be under your charge,”
He will protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To rebel against His glorious presence.
The expression of their faces bears witness against them,
And they display their sin like Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil on themselves.
10 Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him,
For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 O My people! Their oppressors are children,
And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.

Chapter 3 then goes back to describe the very end of the Armageddon battle (which is also described in Matthew 25, where Jesus separates the sheep from the goats)... 
(Isaiah 3:13-15)  The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people,
“It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 “What do you mean by crushing My people
And grinding the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord God of hosts.

Today's takeaway:  as Christians, we are to be advocates for the poor and defenseless.  We need to have compassion and love for ALL people, and definitely have love for our fellow Christians who are our "family".  If we don't - we need to do an attitude-check.  Love and compassion does not come naturally.  I sometimes volunteer at a youth center drop-in, and at times I find myself pleading with God, "Lord, I do love these kids - but - help me love these kids!  Really help me love these kids as You do!!!"

The world's definition of love is based on feelings, which are fickle.  Feelings come and go.  That is why the world should know we are Christians by our love!!!  Because we should be experiencing and realizing that God's love is unconditional, sacrificial... (the Greek word for this love is AGAPE).  Therefore we need to CHOOSE to love.  We need to CHOOSE to allow God to do that for us...

(Colossians 3:12-17)  So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put onheart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;  13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

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