JESUS the Servant (Is.41-42)

In Isaiah 41, God challenges the heathen to have their idols give prophecies in order to prove their power - which of course they cannot do...

 (Isaiah 41:21-24)  “Present your case,” the Lord says.  “Bring forward your strong arguments,” the King of Jacob says.
22 Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;  as for the former events, declare what they were, that we may consider them and know their outcome.  Or announce to us what is coming;
23 Declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we may know that you are gods;  indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.
24 Behold, you are of no account, and your work amounts to nothing;  he who chooses you is an abomination.

God then predicts the attack from the north - which does happen  - 150 years later.  The one from the north is Cyrus of Persia...

(Isaiah 42:25-26)  “I have aroused one from the north, and he has come;  from the rising of the sun he will call on My name;  and he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, even as the potter treads clay.”
26 Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?  Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?  Surely there was no one who declared, surely there was no one who proclaimed, surely there was no one who heard your words.

God explains that He had sent a messenger of good news - referring to men like Isaiah the prophet - but still the people turn to idols...

 (Isaiah 42:27-29)  “Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’  And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’
28 “But when I look, there is no one, and there is no counselor among them
Who, if I ask, can give an answer.
29 “Behold, all of them are false;  their works are worthless, their molten images are wind and emptiness.

But there is hope!  Many of God's messengers told the people about the coming Messiah...  that God was going to send His Son to earth...

(Isaiah 42:1-4)  “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;  My chosen one in whom My soul delights.  I have put My Spirit upon Him;  He will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 “He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 “A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;  He will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 “He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth;  and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

Jesus is God's Servant!  We see this prophecy fulfilled - after Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees secretly plot to destroy Jesus...

(Matthew 12:15-18...)  But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there.  Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 and warned them not to tell who He was.  17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen;  My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased;  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out;  nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 “A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory.
21 “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”

Jesus would first "bring hope" to the world by paying the price for all sin...

 (Isaiah 42:7-9)  To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 “I am the Lord, that is My name;  I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to [e]graven images.
9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things;  before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Then - at some point in the future - Jesus will come again to fulfill the (Abrahamic) covenant - the promise that God made to the Israelites...

(Isaiah 42:5-6)  Thus says God the Lord,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it,
6 “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations..."

Jesus is the light to the nations,   But for those who do not see the Light and follow the Light, at the end of the Tribulation...

(Isaiah 42:13)  The Lord will go forth like a warrior,  He will arouse His zeal like a man of war.  He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry.  He will prevail against His enemies.

Until then - this verse is still applicable...

(Isaiah 42:18)  Hear, you deaf!  And look, you blind, that you may see.

Apostle Paul sums this all up very well...

(Romans 11:1-36)  I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?  May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.”

11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

28  From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

JESUS Announced (Is.40)

Isaiah writes this prophecy regarding the LORD coming to earth...

(Isaiah 40:3)  A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;  make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.."

This prophecy is fulfilled when John the Baptist announced to the people that the ministry of Jesus was beginning.  John the Baptist was "the voice calling" and the announcement was about Jesus' arrival in the desert to be baptized.,,

(Matthew 3:1-3)  Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’”

In this next verse, we find a description of how there will be a shift in the earth.  Is it literal, or is it more figurative???...

(Isaiah 40:4)  “Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;  and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley..."

It is interesting how the earth itself responds to Jesus.  First of all, Jesus is the Creator.  Second, He has authority over creation (just a few examples: the parting of the Red Sea, the parting of the Jordan River, calming the storm at the Sea of Galilee, etc.).  Third, nature seems to respond (almost react) to Him, like - - - at His death on the cross - there was a great earthquake; and when He rose again - there was another earthquake!  So we see in this next portion of scripture, when Jesus is being presented to the people as their King...

(Luke 19:35-44)  They brought it (the colt) to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. 37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, 38 shouting:

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord;  peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”  41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

When Jesus came to earth in the flesh (100 % man, 100 % God) the first time - most Israelites did not recognize their Messiah.  Because they rejected Him as King, there would be consequences.  A few years later, 70 A.D., Rome attacks and destroys Jerusalem.  As well, because they did not recognize their Messiah, they will one day go through the Tribulation.  Then they will see the "signs" of Jesus' Second Coming.  THEN they will believe!  Then they will recognize their Messiah - when Jesus comes again to earth for the Battle of Armageddon, to take them into the Millennium...

(Isaiah 40:5)  'Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together;  for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 

Meanwhile, Jesus has been announced to the earth!  The whole earth knows!  Creation itself is "a witness" to Jesus.  The decision is simple - how will we respond?

(Romans 1:18-20)  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

To back this up with an event... some missionaries had gone into uncharted jungles and found an isolated tribe.  They soon found out that this tribe worshiped "the Creator".  After the missionaries learned their language and translated the Bible for them - they said - YES!  Exactly!  This is what we believe!!!  Up until then they had no scriptures, they had no one to tell them the gospel... yet through creation itself - they could see!!!  And they had responded with a decision to believe!!!

JESUS the Messiah (Is.24-35)

For several chapters, Isaiah gives prophetic warnings to different countries.  Then he gives prophecies that have not happened yet, which involve Jesus physically coming to earth.  These scriptures encouraged the Israelites to keep on the lookout for their Messiah (Jesus).  These messages were for them then, and they are for them now.  The scripture below speaks of the Second Coming of Jesus...

 (Isaiah 24:21-23)   So it will happen in that day, that the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, and the kings of the earth on earth.
22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison;  and after many days they will be punished.
23 Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.

At the end of the Tribulation, the nations will be judged for their sins.  Then Jesus will sit on the throne in Jerusalem and set up His kingdom for the thousand year reign (which is the Millennium, which is also called "The Wedding Feast")...

(Isaiah 24:6) The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,  And refined, aged wine.

The people who become Christians during the Tribulation are the ones who will stay - and enjoy all of this.  They will have children during the Millennium, but just like everyone else, those people have to make a choice to believe in Jesus - or not.  But no matter what their choice is, Jesus, as the perfect King, will be governing with righteousness and justice, and so there will be peace and safety, etc...

(Isaiah 26:1-8)  In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;  He sets up walls and ramparts for security. 
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, the one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city;  He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it, the feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

7 The way of the righteous is smooth;  O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You eagerly;  Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.

When this was being written, the Israelites were waiting for their Messiah (for Jesus to be their perfect King and fulfill the Abrahamic covenant).  What the Israelites did not realize (yet), was that Jesus their Messiah would come - but they would reject Him - that He would die on a cross as the ultimate sacrifice for all sins - to provide salvation for anyone who believed in Him.  God knew this would happen - and that it had to happen - to bless all nations.  So this next scripture is referring to the Israelites waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus (which is still applicable to them now)...

(Isaiah 26:21)  For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
And the earth will reveal her bloodshed.

Isaiah jumps around a lot.  Throughout the book of Isaiah, he gives prophecy after prophecy on the same theme/s.  So above is another prophecy of Jesus coming at the end of the Tribulation, and below is another prophecy of Jesus in the Millennium, and then the very last bit (which I have highlighted) is another recap....

 (Isaiah 35:1-4)   The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus
2 It will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy.  The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.  They will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
4 Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not.  Behold, your God will come with vengeance;  the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.”

The Israelites were fully warned, were fully encouraged - that their Messiah was coming to earth.  They missed "seeing" Him the first time.  But God keeps His promises!  God will make very sure that they "see" Him the second time.  It won't be fun!  But it will be very obvious to those who are going through the Tribulation!  EXCEPT FOR the ones who pass away or are raptured BEFORE this time... (Israelites or anyone else) who do "see" and accept Jesus NOW as their personal Savior.  Now is the time!  As Jesus was telling Nicodemus - these are also Jesus' words to us...

(John 3:11-21)  "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.  16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

JESUS our Living Water (Is.11-12)

Isaiah 11 is a reference to Jesus (which is confirmed in Romans 15)...

(Isaiah 11:1-2)  Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.  2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Jesse was king David's father, so this is explaining that Jesus will be born into (or really - will come out of...) King David's lineage, so not only is Jesus the King of kings, He would be the legitimate earthly king of Israel.  And, when Jesus began His ministry on earth, He first went to John the Baptist to be baptized (in order to be an earthly example of obedience, as well as) so that God could show the world that Jesus was the legitimate Son of God...

(Matthew 3:16-17)  After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John the Baptist) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

The rest of Isaiah chapter 11 explains how it will be at the Second Coming of Jesus - when Jesus will judge the sinners (at the battle of Armageddon), and how Jesus would bring about peace and blessings to the earth (in the Millennium).

Isaiah chapter 12 are the lyrics for a song of a praise which contained descriptions of Jesus...

 (Isaiah 12:1-6)   Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord;  for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;  for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
3 Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.
4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name.  Make known His deeds among the peoples;  make them remember that His name is exalted.”
5 Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things;  let this be known throughout the earth.
6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

The Israelites were excited that their Messiah would one day come to fulfill the Abrahamic covenenat.  They knew what He would stand for. They knew these references and descriptions.  And when Jesus came to earth the first time, He made it extremely clear!

(John 7:37-38)  ...on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”