23(Isaiah 02,01-05) The Hope of Messiah
A. If you want to know where God is on His prophetic calendar, all you do is look at the nation of Israel.
§ In Israel we find God's direction and what God is doing today.
§ It seems that since Israel has been in the peace process, there has only been more violence.
§ Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
§ It is exciting days in which we live when we see Israel trying to work out a peace agreement when the Bible says that the tribulation will begin with the signing of the seven year peace agreement.
B. How can we have peace in the Middle East?
§ The truth is, there will only be peace when the Prince of Peace comes.
§ Mankind tries to devise peace but when peace comes to one area war breaks in another.
§ What a time that is going to be when people are able to look and see Jerusalem.
§ They are going to know that the king is there.
§ With joy and reverence they are going to go up to Jerusalem to worship Him who is their king.
C. Isaiah speaks about the establishment of Christ's reign. (Isaiah 2:1-5)
§ These are the words of Isaiah who saw Israel go into captivity as a punishment of their rebellion against God.
§ What a lesson that is for America today.
§ Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
§ Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.
§ Sin brought reproach and Isaiah watched as warnings were neglected and they turned a deaf ear to his preaching.
§ Isaiah saw beyond the time of judgment to a time when the reign of the Messiah will be established.
I. (2:1-2) When Isaiah wrote, the Messiah had not come into the world.
§ So here he is 700 years before the first coming of Christ, prophesying the second coming of Chrst.
§ We see here that Christ's reign is going to be firmly established and the nations of the world will flow into Jerusalem and flow into the temple where they will exalt and worship the Lord.
II. (2:3-4) This will be a time of real peace when Christ's reign is established.
§ There's going to be one thousand years of peace and righteousness.
§ Can you imagine what this world could be if truly all the energies that man devotes to war were used productively for the good of mankind and for the cause of peace?
§ We have to spend so much to prepare a defense for our nation and nations waste so much in war.
§ We look at the wars that are going on right now in the world and we see the devastation and we realize that just ahead, all the buildings that are bombed are going to have to be rebuilt.
§ All the bridges that are destroyed will have to be rebuilt and it is a very costly endeavor that affects entire economies.
§ Think about, if all the resources of the world could be directed toward peace, toward building better schools and building better opportunities, what a world this could be.
§ Well, that is the way it will be when Jesus comes and all the swords will be beaten into plowshares. That is, they are going to be converted from being instruments of war to instruments of peace.
III. What will be the extent of His reign? (Isaiah 9:6-7)
§ We are reminded that He was born to rule. He was born a king.
§ Most people have to become a king. Jesus was a king the moment He was born.
§ He will reign on the throne of David.
§ It looked like, for centuries of time, that the throne of David would be extinct.
§ The Jews were scattered throughout the world.
§ The land of Palestine didn't belong to them, much less Jerusalem
§ But now Jerusalem has come under their control.
§ 6/667, the Star of David was planted in the old city of Jerusalem for the first time in 2000 years.
§ God says He will reign upon the throne of David.
IV. Now what will be the effect of His reign? It will be to bring peace. (Micah 4:3-4)
§ You see the Wailing Wall, the western wall in Jerusalem. The Jews come to this wall.
§ There between the layers of ancient stones, they place prayers.
§ They are praying for the peace of Jerusalem as Psalms commands us to do.
§ They know that peace of Jerusalem cannot come about by human effort.
A. God hasn't promised a future to any other city but He has promised a future to the city of Jerusalem.
§ What will be the spiritual nature of Jerusalem during the Millennium?
§ (2:3)Look at Isaiah again. The knowledge and worship of Christ will be universal.
§ That doesn't mean that every person will be saved because we know from Revelation 20 that at the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ, there will be a rebellion against God.
§ But they will know about Christ.
B. During this time the Messianic covenant with Israel will be fulfilled. (Jer 31:31-33)
§ In Romans 11, God said that He had not cast off His people, but blindness will come to them in part until the times of Gentiles will be fulfilled.
§ This is going to be a wonderful time for Israel during this millennium.
§ Jerusalem will be restored to God by a new covenant.
C. Now when will they become His people again?
§ When they recognize their Messiah.
§ The only way to heaven is through Jesus.
§ He is their Messiah.
§ Whether Jew or a Gentile, OT times or NT times or tribulation time, the only way of salvation is through the Messiah, the Lord Jesus.
D. There will be peace.
§ Notice that when the spirit of God works in the life of a person, the result if peace. (Gal 5:22).
§ What a day that will be when God pours His spirit out upon His people and they are just released in victory and joy to praise and worship the Lord.
§ What an exciting time that is going to be for the city of Jerusalem.
E. There will be justice
§ Do you ever get fed up with the court systems of our land today?
§ Do you ever get disturbed because it seems that so many get off after committing terrible crimes?
§ Well, there'll be righteousness in that day and God will judge in righteousness.
§ There will be obedience.
§ Those who are disobedient will be immediately judged by the Lord.
§ That's one reason it will be a peaceful world.
§ If everybody would just obey God today, it would be a peaceful world.
F. There will be truth.
§ Today we never know when we listen to media whether or not we are getting the unvarnished truth.
§ In that day, Jesus Himself will speak and He is the truth. (Joel 2:28-29)
Conclusion:
§ Matthew 24:37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
§ Romans 13:11 ¶ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.