(Isa 13:6 KJV) "Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty."

In today's reading, we come across this verse in the chapter, which gives us a detailed account of the approaching Day of the Lord. Ultimately, this passage is pointing to Judgment Day, but God is using the figure of the coming judgment of Judah. We can tell that this part of Scripture is speaking of the Final Judgment of the Last Day, because God says in verse 11 that He is going to punish the world and all the wicked. There are many books in the Old Testament, which carry with them the theme of the judgment of the world. Those are very portentous books with grave themes. As Christians, we cannot skip over these books. There are many churches who teach only happiness, health, and wealth. What good is that when the Day of the Lord will come with vengeance? It would seem good to many to avoid books like Jeremiah, Isaiah 1-39, or Ezekiel because the overriding theme in these books are the coming worldwide judgment of God. We can read about the end times in Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13 and in other places in the New Testament. I believe God has so much to say about the coming judgment for the purpose of making sure Christians understand the seriousness of what is about to happen on this earth and the urgency of our mandate of getting the Gospel out to all the earth.

(Isa 17:12-13 KJV) "Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! {13} The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind."

In today's reading, we come across these two verses, which give us a good description of the nature of the world today.  The people and the nations are constantly in a rush.  No one ever slows down.  God likens them to rushing waters, and that they make the same sound as the sea.  In Revelation 17:15, we read a similar passage.  (Rev 17:15 KJV) "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."  God is confirming to us that the nations of people are where the whore sits.  God uses a figure of a whore to describe the kingdom of Satan.  For only the kingdom of Satan can be worldwide in scope.  It manifests itself in different manners, but the unsaved people of the world are all in the great whore.  People rush because we are very lonely and isolated.  Even though we are surrounded by billions of people, there is a certain loneliness, which permeates our society.  Millions see only their personal lives, and when they finish one project, they must begin the next.  If society would ever slow down and take a break, then their conscience would begin to remind them that there is a God in Heaven with whom they have to deal with.  Rushing seems to be the favorite pastime of many who want to block out the inevitability of mortality and eternity.

Can you show me one workplace where everything isn't urgent and doesn't have to be done today?  This is the corporate mindset where they make paid slaves out of their employees, work them ferociously, and then when they are ready to retire, their bodies are so worn out that they do not even enjoy retirement --or only live a very short time in retirement, if they make it at all.  I believe the corporate mindset is Satanically-driven, because it makes Christians so tired when they come home at the end of a twelve-hour day, that they find it impossible to muster the energy they need to go to Wednesday night church meetings.  This is why many are burned out and do not attend church on Sunday, because they are in a stage of physical recuperation just in time to start it all over again on Monday morning.

We carry that mindset into our own personal lives too.  Do you ever find yourself rushing through a store, or do you get angry if you are the third car in line at the drive-up window?  Then we try to meet our harried life halfway by attempting to feed ourselves healthy food.  Let me tell you, if you put the best and cleanest gasoline in a car and run that car at 120 MPH constantly, how long do you think that vehicle is going to last?  God expects His children to give their employers a good and honest day's work, but I do not find anywhere in Scripture where we are to serve the company as an equal to God.  We must carefully do some introspection and see if we are heading down a physically dangerous path.  If so, then corrections have to be made.  If your job requires you to be there 80 hours a week, then maybe it is time to look for another job.  Let us not be like those who are rushing around aimlessly.  We serve the Lord God, and we need to be able to serve Him with open eyes.  I remember once I went for an interview and the man behind the desk asked me, "Are you the type of person that leaves after the shift is over?"  In reality, what he was asking me was, "You don't plan on serving anything else but this company from morning till night, are you?"  Let us reassess and take our findings to the Lord.  It may save our life!

(Isa 19:24-25 KJV) "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: {25} Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance."

In today's reading, we come across these verses which give us a prophesy of the sending forth of the Gospel.  At the time Isaiah wrote his book, the northern kingdom of Israel was only a few years away from going into captivity with the Assyrians.  Yet we read in the above verses that there seems to be a binding camaraderie among these three nations, two of which are the outright enemies of Israel.  Egypt oppressed Israel for 430 years and Assyria was about to oppress the northern Kingdom for seventy years.  Yet God seems to be speaking of these countries in a positive manner, and not on a destructive note.  But there are other places in the Bible where God promises that Assyria will fall.  What could be the possible cause of God speaking about these nations positively?  --It is the future giving of the Gospel!  No longer will the Truth be bound only in one country.  God is looking to the future when the Gospel will be going out worldwide, and will even bring together those races, which have been traditionally hostile to one another.  The Gospel is a binding entity.  If you visit other countries and you do not know anyone, and if you meet up with a Christian, then you already have something in common, and sometimes you feel like you have known that person for ten years.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the One who binds His entire body together.  Physically speaking, we may not see it perfectly today, but you can be assured that in the spirit all Christians everywhere from around the world, they are connected together.

In Isaiah 19:19, we read that in the midst of Egypt, there will be an altar to the Lord.  I have heard prophesy programs try to make this out to be the Great Pyramid.  When we speak of an altar, we must include the use of that item.  It was used to sacrifice animals in the ceremonial system.  There is a much more important focus in this verse. Sometimes God uses a nation as an example of the world.  This is true with nations like Babylon.  God makes major comparisons between Babylon and the world system in Revelation.  God also uses Egypt as a type of the world.  The Exodus was a picture of all the believers who will become saved out of the world system.  It also pictures the great rapture when all the believers on earth will be brought to Heaven.  What is the altar that God has in view?  The altar in view is the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was responsible for creating the body of Christ and allowing it to go worldwide to save Christians out of every nation.  (Rev 5:9 KJV) "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"  Isaiah 19:20 says that God is going to send them a Savior, and in the following verse, that Savior is going to cause Egypt to know the Lord.  But look at the next phrase: "and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day."  What could cause the Egyptians to know the Lord?  It is only the Grace of God.  We live in "that day," which is the day of grace.  Let us proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ while it is still "that day."

(Isa 22:20 KJV) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:"

In today’s reading, we come across this verse, which begins a group of verses which gives a description of the Lord Jesus Christ in prophesying His first coming and His sacrifice.  Eliakim was the son of Hilkiah who was a faithful High Priest.  It was Hilkiah who delivered the book of the Law to Josiah, which caused him to rent his clothes and acknowledge how far Israel had departed from the Lord.  Eliakim was going to take the place of his father, Hilkiah.  God said that the robes of Hilkiah were to be placed on Eliakim.  The name Eliakim means "God is establishing."  In verse 21, we read that God is going to place the government in his hands, and he will be a father to those in Jerusalem and Judah.   Here we see an Old Testament picture of the fatherhood of God over His people.  The body of believers is described as "The New Jerusalem" and "Judah," as the Lord Jesus Christ descended through the tribe of Judah.  This is where we get the term "spiritual Jews or Israel" for the body of Christ.  In Isaiah 9:6, we read one of the descriptive terms of the Lord Jesus Christ is "The Everlasting Father."  In verse 21, Eliakim is told that he was going to be a father to those in Jerusalem and Judah.  Isaiah 9:6 also speaks of the "government being upon his shoulders."  God had committed the government to Eliakim.  What beautiful spiritual parallels we are seeing here in these passages.  It ain't over yet.

In verse 22, we see that Eliakim is going to be given the key of David.  This description is also found in the New Testament concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Rev 3:7 KJV) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;"   Isn't it nice how God couches such New Testament teachings in the Old Testament?  If someone ever tells you that the Old Testament is not valid for today, kick him in the shins.  Now God prophesies the Crucifixion.  In verse 23, we read that God is going to fasten Him in a sure place.  That sure place was Calvary, where the Lord Jesus Christ became the Mercy Seat, the Throne of Glory, the Throne of Eternal Life, the Throne of Justice, and the Throne of Justification.  In verse 24, we read that all the offspring and the issues shall be hung there, along with all the vessels.  What God is showing us here is that when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross, He took with Him every believer, from the beginning of time to the Last Day.  

(Gal 2:20 KJV) "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Then in verse 25, we read that the nails will be removed.  It is sad that the Roman Catholic Institution still has their Jesus with the nails in His hand.  The crucifixion of Christ represented the completion of God's salvation plan.  Which means, if the nails are still in, anyone who follows that gospel are still unsaved, because their salvation has not been completed.  Then God gives us a great encouragement that the burden that was upon it shall be cut off.  This was all the sins of the believer, which were cut off, or removed for salvation, which was never to be held against the believer again, past, present, or future.  

(Col 2:13-14 KJV) "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

(Isa 26:3 KJV) "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which teaches us that the Lord will give His Children peace, but there is one prerequisite for that peace.  As our verse tells us, the believer must keep their eyes focused on the Lord.  This verse teaches that a mind, which is stayed or steadfast on the Lord, will yield the peace of the Lord.  Now, when we think of a mind, which is steadfast on the Lord, we realize that our mind is not focusing on the problems or situations surrounding it.  If a mind is focused on the Lord, it will not be wandering and wondering.  A focused mind requires an implicit trust.  This also means that even though we are in the world, our focus will be on the Lord.  This is what engenders peace.  The world will give us so many voices and so many ways to give us peace.  The world will tell you to go take a vacation, and we do need one every now and then.  The world also has other ways of trying to create peace.  There are drugs to help anesthetize us to the things of the world.  There are so many types of sleeping pills that we can take.  There are so many types of alcoholic drinks we can drink to take "the edge off."  The world has created all types of methods.  However, we can never experience the true peace, which is obtained externally and works its way inward.  The true peace is given by God in our souls and emanates from the inside out.

(Isa 30:10 KJV) "Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:"

In today's reading, we come across this sad verse which itself is a commentary on today's attitude toward Truth. In the time of Isaiah, the nation of Israel did not want to hear the Word of God. Instead, they were satisfied living in false gospels with the false gods of the surrounding nations. God sent the prophets to them to straighten them out, and what did they do? They told the prophets to basically shut up about the things of God, and they were to tell them what they wanted to hear. They wanted to be deceived so their life would be much more easier. In fact, in Jeremiah, we are told that when Judah left their worship of the "Queen of Heaven," they were miserable. Following God is tougher on earth, but going to Hell for eternity is a lot tougher.

This verse brings to mind a similar situation in my own life. In 1995, I was an Associate Pastor of a small church, and I was thrown out because I opposed the tongues. The cry from today's congregations are, "Don’t tell me the truth" - "I don't care why Acts 8:37 is missing in my NIV but not in the KJV, you fanatic!" - "We don't want reverence in our church, we want to jump up and down and scream to the music on the stage!" - "God loves everyone, and Hell is only a concept!" - "Roman Catholics, Buddhists, Islamics are all my brethren, so don't preach your narrow-minded religion to me!" - "Love is more important than doctrine!" And there are many more which could be listed, as we read about the mortality of Truth in Christianity today.

Do we think that because we choose to reject Truth, that God will not hold us accountable for it? Many Christians are suffering in their Walk today, because they are embracing Hell's descendants and their doctrines. God is being viewed as a 'Grandfather' who will take everyone to Heaven, regardless of their beliefs. Wait until you meet 'Grandpa' on the Last Day, and when you find out you were not saved, you are going to be stunned. Satan is planting a mass of ideas and concepts in the heads of Christians, which are so antithetical to Scripture, yet sounds good. For example, what does Environmentalism have to do with the Gospel of salvation? Yet, many young people in the churches are being taught that these types of things are important. There is not one thing more important on this earth than the human soul. Did God withhold judgment from Israel, because they rejected His Truth? --No, He didn't! Just because you belong to a group who refuse Truth, do you think you will escape? Christians cannot --and should not-- accept everything, because not everything is true.

I was told privately by e-mail that I "hammer everything." Jesus said narrow is the way, and that is not just a light statement to be ignored; it is to be heeded. There is no such thing as voting on Truth, as many churches do. Rejecting God's Truth will lead to eternal damnation for the unbeliever, and will lead to an invalid Christian Walk, where many years of fruitless existence will be burned up on the Last Day according to I Corinthians 3. Yet, there is good news! If you have been following a false gospel, or an all-inclusive gospel of "anything goes," then it is still the Day of Salvation. Not only for your soul, but for your philosophy. (Psa 119:126 KJV) "It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law." If your Christian Walk has been fruitless, and you know something is wrong, then you need to bring it to the Lord now. You do not have to believe like your friends do! You do not have to believe as members of your family do! If you are seeking the Truth of the Lord, then do not allow anyone to move you off your search for Truth. Seek the Lord --NOW-- while He may be found! Don't you think it is time to start serving the Lord the way He would have you serve Him, rather than the way YOU think He wants you to serve Him?! The days are fleeting, and the time for disobedience is over.

(Isa 32:20 KJV) "Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which speaks of missions, although it is couched in symbols.  Isaiah truly is the Gospel in the Old Testament.  When we look at the above verse, we see there is a blessing to those who sow beside all waters.  What are we sowing?  It is the Gospel to the nations of the world.  The verse mentions "all" waters.  This means all the waters of the earth.  It also states that the blessing includes sending forth the feet of the ox and the ass.  Now, in dealing with world missions, do we send forth the feet of these animals, or do we send forth people to bring the message of the Gospel?  It is people that we send.

(Rom 10:15 KJV) "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"  

Let us look at the donkey and see how that represents the believer.  (Exo 13:13 KJV) "And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem."  Here we see God commanding that every firstling of an ass is to be redeemed with a lamb, or the neck is to be broken.  Now, you and I were redeemed by a lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.  If a person is not redeemed, then they will suffer eternal damnation, which is represented in this passage by the breaking of the neck.  Isn't it interesting how God uses a stubborn donkey as a picture of His People?  We are all stubborn at one time or another.

(1 Cor 9:9-10 KJV) "For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? {10} Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope."  

Here we see that the ox symbolizes the believer in that like the ox who treads the corn, the believer should plow and plant in hopes that the seed of the Gospel will take root in the ground where it has been planted.  This is the idea behind the Isaiah passage, that we are sending the true believers forth to plant the Gospel, not only in foreign lands, but in the home mission field too.  This is the reason that the church exists, to continue sowing the Word of God, and reaping harvest of souls.  Both the ox and the ass were beasts of burden and were used in field work.  The Christian carries with them the burden of sending forth the Gospel to as many places as they possibly can.  You and I may have our mission field right in our back yard, but we are to carry the Gospel with the same burden as those who go to foreign lands.

(Isa 35:8 KJV) "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which sits in the middle of a very encouraging chapter that focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Notice the wilderness will blossom and the desert will rejoice. These are figures that teach us that no matter how desolate a person's life is, when the Lord Jesus Christ saves a person, then that person goes from becoming a wilderness to a great garden.

When I read this chapter, I can think of one person whom I have struck up a friendship with, and you will know who he is as soon as I mention his name. His name is David Berkowitz. He was once known as the "Son of Sam," but in Attica Prison in 1987, a man walked up to him and gave him a tract and started witnessing to him. David became saved and is now a very vibrant Christian who makes videos to warn young people to avoid the occult, plus his spiritual journals online have been a blessing to many. Here was a man who had killed people, but when the Lord saved him, He turned his desert of a life into abundant blossoming. He knows he will never get out of prison, and he is not trying to. He realizes that he now has a large ministry, and the walls of that prison do not hinder it.

(Phil 1:13 KJV) "So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;"

This is what the Lord speaks about when He says that the ransomed of the Lord shall come to Zion with singing. Zion is the body of believers, and it is the salvation of God that allows believers to be filled with joy. This chapter is one that needs to be devoured by the believer, because it is filled with so many beautiful types --all focusing on Salvation by Grace. But notice also that in our verse above, it states that on the highway of holiness --which is salvation-- there will be no unclean or unsaved on that highway. For the unbeliever cannot be holy, unless they are first regenerated.

Further on, it says the Redeemed will walk on it. Walking reveals that it will be a safe place. Whenever we are uneasy about being in a bad section of town or somewhere else, what is our first reaction? "Let's hurry and get out of here!" But when we figuratively are walking, this means we have a confidence and safety without any inkling of hurrying. One thing about being saved, there does not have to be the tyranny of the urgent anymore. Our souls can rest in Calvary. The flesh may want to still run, because it is tied to this world, but it needs to come under subjection to the spirit. There will also be streams in the desert, and we can look at that and see how the Holy Spirit will teach us the Gospel, so out of our bellies will flow those rivers of Living Water, so we can water the deserts of others.

(Isa 39:8 KJV) "Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which is the culmination of the foolishness of Hezekiah. In his pride, he had shown all the treasures to the representatives of Babylon. Then God pronounces the judgment on Judah through Isaiah, telling Hezekiah that all that is in thine house will be carried away to Babylon. Hezekiah was either oblivious to what Isaiah was saying, or he just did not understand what he was being told, because it was like he did not take it seriously. Hezekiah only seemed to understand that the judgment would not be in his day, and for this, he was happy. It seemed at this point that Hezekiah was being selfish, because it seems the fact did not register that there was coming a major judgment on Judah. Hezekiah only seemed concerned that it was not going to happen in his day. This scenario was played out in modern times when Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of England, in 1938, went to Munich and signed a peace treaty with Hitler and came back proclaiming that there would be peace in our time. Of course, in less than one year, the bombs were falling on Poland and less than two years, they were falling on London. Compromise for the present without concern for the future is foolishness. Hezekiah didn't even seem concerned when Isaiah told him that his own sons would be carried off to Babylon in the coming judgment. He was probably only concerned that God gave him fifteen more years to live.

(Isa 41:10 KJV) "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which is one of my favorites in all the Scriptures. God encourages us not to fear because He states that He is with every one of His Children. Whenever we go through the valleys, God is right there with us. Sometimes we ask the question, "Why doesn't He keep us from these valleys?" If He did, then we could never experience the Father heart of God, as He gently cares for and nurtures His Children. When He tells us not to be dismayed, it carries with it the idea of being anxious. Sometimes when situations come upon us, we tend to get anxious and worry begins to build up in us, thus robbing us of the peace that God gives us. Anxiety and peace cannot co-exist at the same time in the same body. But God goes on to give us another promise. He says that because He is Our God, He will strengthen us. Look at the terrible trial Job went through and during the entire trial, he did not curse God or even say anything against Him. The word "yea" carries with it the meaning of "surely." God will surely strengthen us. He will not allow us to face situations beyond our control with just human strength. This would cause His children to go down in utter defeat at every trial. God comes to our rescue. His divine strength is with us twenty-four hours a day.

God promises help to us in the midst of adversity. Sometimes we may not be able to recognize the help God gives us until the trial is over, and we look at it in retrospection. Then we look at it, and see how perfectly God helped us and how flawless His timing was. Then God makes another promise that He is going to uphold us with the right Hand of His righteousness. This means that Salvation by Grace, which under girds us, will strengthen us. Normally in Scripture, the right Hand of God speaks of His Power. He will use all His Power to strengthen us as we go through tough times. If we never went through these times, we would never see how intimately God works in the lives of His Children. God is concerned about every phase of our life. After all, He has a lot invested in each Child of His. The price of redemption was very high. The word "uphold" carries with it the meaning of "taking hold of us." It is just like when we were young, and we held on to our parents when we crossed the street. This is how He holds us when we go through the valleys. God doesn't save us and then walk away, forcing us to fend for ourselves.