Immanuel
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· 6 viewsThe prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming Lord and Savior, the Messiah and told of the titles that He would called! Today, we need to be eager and awaiting the continuation of Isaiah's prophecy and the second Advent of Yeshua!
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Open in prayer!!
Let me start off this morning by asking you a question, just to get your brains pumping and your cranial tissues flowing with oxygenated blood for today’s message. AMEN?!
Let me start off this morning by asking you a question, just to get your brains pumping and your cranial tissues flowing with oxygenated blood for today’s message. AMEN?!
Who, in your esteemed opinions, was the greatest prophet who lived in the Old Testament?
Who, in your esteemed opinions, was the greatest prophet who lived in the Old Testament?
WAIT AND LET THE PEOPLE ANSWER!
OK, may I submit to you now my answer? The greatest prophet of the Old Testament, was............John the Baptist!
OK, may I submit to you now my answer? The greatest prophet of the Old Testament, was............John the Baptist!
Now I know that most of you are saying, “John the Baptist wasn’t in the Old Testament, but rather, he was in the New Testament”, right?
Now I know that most of you are saying, “John the Baptist wasn’t in the Old Testament, but rather, he was in the New Testament”, right?
Well, turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Matthew 11:7-14 and let’s read this passage together.
Well, turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Matthew 11:7-14 and let’s read this passage together.
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10 This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,
14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
So, this is what Yeshua was saying. “From the time of the Law and all of the prophets, until now, (right now including this present time with John), there had not existed a single person “greater” than that of John the Baptist!
The Old Testament (Old Covenant) was in effect up to and including the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist! He was a part of it!
Jesus calls John a prophet and says that NO ONE before him who prophesied, or even existed, was greater than he was.
And yet, anyone who was to come on this side of the kingdom, (through Yeshua), was greater than he!
This is because, up until the time that John the Baptist walked this earth and ushered in the coming of Yeshua and witnessed Him with his own eyes, no one before him who had ever prophesied for God, had ever witnessed the Messiah and His glorious appearing in the flesh and in His incarnate form!
That is, no one on earth witnessed the Son of God before in history as THE SON OF GOD!
Yes, there was, “the Angel of God”, that we believe to be a pre-incarnate form of Yeshua found in the old Testament, but not the actual Son of God in the flesh and coming as the Messiah!
So, up until and including John the Baptist, no one was greater than he was. (Prophets and servants alike.......he was the greatest!)
And yet, everyone, (including you and I) and all those who have come via the cross and through the Christ to God the Father, are greater than John, because we have witnessed and lived within the redemptive work of Yeshua with our own eyes and not just foretold of it!
John never witnessed the finished work of Christ as a prophet on this side of the cross and yet we have!
Somebody needs to get a little excited about the fact Yeshua is alive and seated beside the Father right now, and that we are living witnesses to the Messiah, Himself!!!
Can I get a witness in the house this morning?!!!!!
Now, that being said as to who was the greatest prophet from the Old Testament, let me just say that of the major prophets found within the Old Testament writings, probably the most noted and the most quoted prophet by scholars and Christians today and throughout the centuries, as well as within the New Testament, would have to be the prophet, Isaiah.
Now, that being said as to who was the greatest prophet from the Old Testament, let me just say that of the major prophets found within the Old Testament writings, probably the most noted and the most quoted prophet by scholars and Christians today and throughout the centuries, as well as within the New Testament, would have to be the prophet, Isaiah.
In fact, within the New Testament writings, we find that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Philip, Peter, Paul, and Jesus quoted from Isaiah’s prophecies many times — far more than all the other prophets put together.
In fact, within the New Testament writings, we find that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Philip, Peter, Paul, and Jesus quoted from Isaiah’s prophecies many times — far more than all the other prophets put together.
I found that they directly quote from 30 of Isaiah’s chapters, and indirectly quote from eight more, for a total of 38 of Isaiah’s 66 chapters.
I found that they directly quote from 30 of Isaiah’s chapters, and indirectly quote from eight more, for a total of 38 of Isaiah’s 66 chapters.
And even more so, fully 90% of the New Testament’s 260 chapters quote from Isaiah’s writings. His book and his prophecies are that important!
And even more so, fully 90% of the New Testament’s 260 chapters quote from Isaiah’s writings. His book and his prophecies are that important!
And especially at this time of the year, the time in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord and savior Yeshua as well as during the week of our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection in the Spring, we find quite a few quotes from the prophet Isaiah and his Old Testament writings!
And especially at this time of the year, the time in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord and savior Yeshua as well as during the week of our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection in the Spring, we find quite a few quotes from the prophet Isaiah and his Old Testament writings!
If you read throughout the writings of Isaiah, in chapters 7-11, you will find quite a few verses that deal specifically with the coming of the Messiah and about His reign and about His rule here on earth.
If you read throughout the writings of Isaiah, in chapters 7-11, you will find quite a few verses that deal specifically with the coming of the Messiah and about His reign and about His rule here on earth.
And found within these chapters and within these verses, you will also read about the impending judgement of God upon the nation of Israel, for her continual refusal to accept and follow the commands and the laws of God for His people.
And found within these chapters and within these verses, you will also read about the impending judgement of God upon the nation of Israel, for her continual refusal to accept and follow the commands and the laws of God for His people.
In fact, that process of the children of Israel rebelling and turning from God and His laws and His commands, is pretty much the history of the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament.
In fact, that process of the children of Israel rebelling and turning from God and His laws and His commands, is pretty much the history of the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament.
Time and time again, throughout the scriptures, you’ll read of the people rebelling and turning from the Lord and from His will for them and the Lord thus sending his prophets to warn the people to repent and turn back to Him, and the subsequent consequences of their failing to do so.
God would warn and warn the people and eventually, if they didn’t repent and return to Him, then He would send judgement on the nation.
You see, God uses judgement as a means to bring about repentance.
This process can be seen in such books as that of the prophet Zephaniah, where we find the Lord warning the people of Judah of impending judgement upon them for their evil and wicked ways.
BUT, if the people would gather themselves together and come back to God, then they would be hidden/sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Zephaniah tells the people to “gather themselves together”, (corporately come together) before the Lord’s fierce anger was to come upon them, and humble themselves and repent and seek the Lord in His righteousness and THEN they would be saved!
Is this not the same thing that we see the Lord saying to His people in the very familiar passage of II Chronicles 7:14, where He tells Solomon to warn the people that if God sends judgement on the nation for their unrepentant sins, then they MUST, “Humble themselves and pray and seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways”.
And THEN, God would hear from heaven, and He would forgive them of their sins and heal their land!
This was the conditions give to Israel for national forgiveness of their sins: humility, prayer, a longing for God and His will and ultimately REPENTANCE!
And please take note that God openly says that if the people were not willing to humble themselves in prayer and repent (turn away) from their sins, then He would not even hear their prayers!
God has always made it clear that He does not pay attention to “lip service” offered up by people, but rather, He looks into the true condition of the person’s heart and sees whether that person is really wanting forgiveness from their sins and thus they are willing to truly turn from their sins.....
OR, is that person just wanting to ease their own conscience and continue on in their sinful ways?!
You cannot fool God, no matter how much you pray and how much you try to convince Him otherwise. If you are not willing to repent and TRULY TURN from your sin, then He is not listening to your petitions.
The Bible clearly tells us this:
Proverbs 15:29 tells us,
29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Psalms 66:18-19,
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
Isaiah 59:2 again says,
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
I Peter 3:12 says it this way,
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Does everyone see and understand what I am saying about unrepentant sin and its affect on our prayers to God?
Now this doesn’t mean that if you are struggling with sin that God is not listening to you.
The matter here is of the heart of a person. If you are not willing to repent and release and turn from your sin, then God is no longer listening, because your prayers are vain attempts to appease God and your own conscience and to justify your own lifestyle!
BUT, if you are struggling and seeking God’s help to bring you out of a sinful situation, because you truly want out, then He will meet you where you are help to deliver you out from it!
God will both help you in the times of your temptations and provide a way of escape if you seek Him, as Paul said in I Corinthians 10:13, but He is also patient and wanting you to come to Him when you falter and give in to sin.
We find this in II Peter 3:9, where we are told that God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance!
Ezekiel 18:32, and Acts 3:19,
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
God and His words never change! The blood of Jesus covers us and our sins, but only if we are willing to truly repent and turn from those sins! AMEN?!!!
Anyway, back to what I was saying about the the scriptures showing us the continual process of God warning the people about their sin and then sending judgements upon them, in the hopes of their ultimately coming to Him in repentance and being healed and restored from their sins.
Anyway, back to what I was saying about the the scriptures showing us the continual process of God warning the people about their sin and then sending judgements upon them, in the hopes of their ultimately coming to Him in repentance and being healed and restored from their sins.
The book of Isaiah is full of these warnings to the nation of Israel. You will find throughout the writings of the prophet Isaiah, his making the contrast between “light” and “dark”. That is coming out of the darkness and being in the light!
The book of Isaiah is full of these warnings to the nation of Israel. You will find throughout the writings of the prophet Isaiah, his making the contrast between “light” and “dark”. That is coming out of the darkness and being in the light!
Darkness is likened to that of sin and depravity and light is that of righteousness.
Darkness is likened to that of sin and depravity and light is that of righteousness.
Isaiah 2:5 says,
5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
And again in Isaiah 5:20 we read,
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah clearly shows that walking in the will of God and following His commands, is to walk in the light.
Only God is truly righteous and thus only God is truly light!
I John 1:5-7 says it this way,
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
We talked this past Wednesday evening about the “light” of the world and of course, that “light” was and is, Yeshua, the Son of the living God!
We talked this past Wednesday evening about the “light” of the world and of course, that “light” was and is, Yeshua, the Son of the living God!
And until He burst onto the scene, the world lived in a state of perpetual hopelessness, because there was no true and lasting atonement for our sins!
And until He burst onto the scene, the world lived in a state of perpetual hopelessness, because there was no true and lasting atonement for our sins!
And that is what we find the prophet Isaiah bringing forth and declaring to the nation of Israel and ultimately to the entire world at that time and for all times........the LIGHT was coming! Just hang on and stay faithful to God was the message, because God was sending His glory and His light into the world to save us!
And that is what we find the prophet Isaiah bringing forth and declaring to the nation of Israel and ultimately to the entire world at that time and for all times........the LIGHT was coming! Just hang on and stay faithful to God was the message, because God was sending His glory and His light into the world to save us!
It was the will of God, from the beginning and at the time of creation, to dwell with His people! But sin had forever cast enmity and distance between God and His children.
It was the will of God, from the beginning and at the time of creation, to dwell with His people! But sin had forever cast enmity and distance between God and His children.
So, God intervened in history and made a way for His presence and His Spirit to be with us and to walk with us, until such a time as He would forever eradicate sin and bring us into perfect communion with Him!
So, God intervened in history and made a way for His presence and His Spirit to be with us and to walk with us, until such a time as He would forever eradicate sin and bring us into perfect communion with Him!
God came down to us! No other religion (since they are all false anyway and of the devil), but no other religion shows their deity coming down and dwelling with its subjects and taking the penalty of their sins upon himself. ONLY YAHWEH, the one true God, did this! Thus, ONLY Christianity is the one true religion! AMEN?!
God came down to us! No other religion (since they are all false anyway and of the devil), but no other religion shows their deity coming down and dwelling with its subjects and taking the penalty of their sins upon himself. ONLY YAHWEH, the one true God, did this! Thus, ONLY Christianity is the one true religion! AMEN?!
But how......how could a perfect God, a perfectly divine spiritual being, come down into the midst of the very thing, (sin), which had separated Him from His creation?
But how......how could a perfect God, a perfectly divine spiritual being, come down into the midst of the very thing, (sin), which had separated Him from His creation?
By becoming one of His creation and entering into the world with legal access into the realm of man, as a man and still being holy God inside!
By becoming one of His creation and entering into the world with legal access into the realm of man, as a man and still being holy God inside!
In order for God to save us, He had to come to us! And that is what Isaiah the prophet proclaimed thousands of years ago to the world...........”He’s coming, He’s coming. Just hang on, because God is coming to us!”
In order for God to save us, He had to come to us! And that is what Isaiah the prophet proclaimed thousands of years ago to the world...........”He’s coming, He’s coming. Just hang on, because God is coming to us!”
Isaiah, chapters 7-12, are riddled with warnings about the people’s unrepentant sin and idolatry and the judgement that was coming upon them because of this.
Isaiah, chapters 7-12, are riddled with warnings about the people’s unrepentant sin and idolatry and the judgement that was coming upon them because of this.
In fact, it’s in Isaiah 9:8-10, that we find the very familiar passage about the arrogance and the pride of the nation of Israel and their unwillingness to turn back to God, that author Jonathan Cahn based his best selling book, The Harbinger upon!
In fact, it’s in Isaiah 9:8-10, that we find the very familiar passage about the arrogance and the pride of the nation of Israel and their unwillingness to turn back to God, that author Jonathan Cahn based his best selling book, The Harbinger upon!
If you are familiar with this book, then you’ll remember that Rabbi Cahn showed a striking parallel between the warnings that God gave to the nation of Israel and the impending judgement that was coming if they didn’t repent, to that of the nation of America and what took place at 9/11 and the warning to this nation from God, if we didn’t repent and as to how our leaders rose up in arrogance and pride and acted wickedly, just like the nation of Israel did!
If you are familiar with this book, then you’ll remember that Rabbi Cahn showed a striking parallel between the warnings that God gave to the nation of Israel and the impending judgement that was coming if they didn’t repent, to that of the nation of America and what took place at 9/11 and the warning to this nation from God, if we didn’t repent and as to how our leaders rose up in arrogance and pride and acted wickedly, just like the nation of Israel did!
And since that time, since 2011 when the book, “The Harbinger” was written, America and her sins and national depravity, have only escalated......just like Israel’s did!
And since that time, since 2011 when the book, “The Harbinger” was written, America and her sins and national depravity, have only escalated......just like Israel’s did!
But even in the midst of Israel’s sin and national rebellion towards God, the Lord was already putting into place a plan that would forever destroy the works of the enemy and offer redemption to all who would believe!
But even in the midst of Israel’s sin and national rebellion towards God, the Lord was already putting into place a plan that would forever destroy the works of the enemy and offer redemption to all who would believe!
And that plan of God is the amazing beauty that we find buried within the chapters of Isaiah’s book! The plan of redemption was revealed throughout the pages of this prophet’s writings!
And that plan of God is the amazing beauty that we find buried within the chapters of Isaiah’s book! The plan of redemption was revealed throughout the pages of this prophet’s writings!
As I said just awhile ago, at this time of year as well as in the spring of the year and at the time of Resurrection Sunday, we find the writings of the prophet Isaiah most prominent.
As I said just awhile ago, at this time of year as well as in the spring of the year and at the time of Resurrection Sunday, we find the writings of the prophet Isaiah most prominent.
And in particular for us and at this time of year, chapters 7-12 of his book stand out to all of us!
And in particular for us and at this time of year, chapters 7-12 of his book stand out to all of us!
In fact Isaiah chapters 7-12, have been called by many, “The Book of Immanuel”!
And for good reason. It is within the confines of these chapters that the plan of God for saving us is shown. As I stated a minute ago, in order for God to save us, He had to come down and dwell amongst us........thus the name, “IMMANUEL”.......”God is with us!
It is within the writings of the prophet Isaiah that we first find the name and title, “Immanuel”.
Isaiah 7:14, tell us,
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
And this same name and title is seen again in the writings of Matthew in his gospel account in Matthew 1:23, where we read,
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
And it’s at this time of year, during the Christmas holiday season, where we celebrate the birth of Yeshua, that so many of us hear and read from the famous passage found in Isaiah’s book, in chapter 9 and its announcing the messiah and of His birth.
And it’s at this time of year, during the Christmas holiday season, where we celebrate the birth of Yeshua, that so many of us hear and read from the famous passage found in Isaiah’s book, in chapter 9 and its announcing the messiah and of His birth.
So, turn with me in your Bibles and we are going to read this passage together right now. Isaiah 9:1-7,
So, turn with me in your Bibles and we are going to read this passage together right now. Isaiah 9:1-7,
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This amazing prophecy about Yeshua, given some 700 years before before He was even born, is one of more than 300 messianic prophecies that were given and that He has already fulfilled!
I know that I have mentioned some of this before in other messages, but it is astounding and we need to be reminded of this, because it serves to strengthen and validate our faith in the Lord Jesus.
According to a mathematician, Peter Stoner, the odds of ONE MAN, being able to complete just 8 prophecies that were written about him before he was even born, are 1 in10x17th power. (That’s a number with 17 zeroes!)
Let me give you an example of what that looks like. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They’ll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up the one silver dollar that has the special mark on it. What chance would he have of getting the right one? 1 in 10x17th power.
The same odds of one man fulfilling just 8 prophecies written about him.
Now, increase that. The odds of one man fulfilling 48 prophecies written about him, increases our number from 1 in 10x17 power to 1 in 10x157th power!
If you started counting at the rate of 250 units per minute and tried to count up the level of 1 in 10x157th power, it would be like this: at the rate of 250 units per minute, you would be counting 19 million x 19 million x 19 million years to count to the 157th power!
And that is for just 48 prophecies! YESHUA fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies concerning His birth and life and death and resurrection on this earth!!!
And within this prophecy in Isaiah 9 that we just read, it is the names that are ascribed to Him that I want to spend some time looking at and sharing how they relate to you and I and what they mean for us.
And within this prophecy in Isaiah 9 that we just read, it is the names that are ascribed to Him that I want to spend some time looking at and sharing how they relate to you and I and what they mean for us.
In true Chris Palmer fashion, it took me a whole message just to set the stage for next week’s message, which will be about the names/titles of Immanuel!
In true Chris Palmer fashion, it took me a whole message just to set the stage for next week’s message, which will be about the names/titles of Immanuel!
But for today, let me leave you with just one beautiful thought that Isaiah the prophet told us in his prophecy about Yeshua in Isaiah 9:7, where he said, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end!”
But for today, let me leave you with just one beautiful thought that Isaiah the prophet told us in his prophecy about Yeshua in Isaiah 9:7, where he said, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end!”
Yeshua promised us this in John14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Yeshua promised us this in John14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
And again in John 16:23 He said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
And again in John 16:23 He said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
And that is the comfort I leave with you today. One of the many attributes that Yeshua brought to us from the Father, was an abiding PEACE that the world and the god of this world cannot take or quench!
And that is the comfort I leave with you today. One of the many attributes that Yeshua brought to us from the Father, was an abiding PEACE that the world and the god of this world cannot take or quench!
When your heart and your mind is stayed upon Him, His word promises us peace to our souls! It was the very same prophet, Isaiah, who wrote this promise to us in Isaiah 26:3, before the prophecy of the coming Messiah. He said,
When your heart and your mind is stayed upon Him, His word promises us peace to our souls! It was the very same prophet, Isaiah, who wrote this promise to us in Isaiah 26:3, before the prophecy of the coming Messiah. He said,
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
This abiding and continual peace is for everyone who has been born again and who keeps their hearts and minds stayed upon the Lord and His Word!
Next week, we are going to look at the names/titles of Yeshua and what they mean to us and for us!
Next week, we are going to look at the names/titles of Yeshua and what they mean to us and for us!
