The Son Who Was Given

Transcript

GRM 1114
12/22/13
The Son who Was Given
Isaiah 9:1-7
Gil Rugh

We're going to turn our attention to Isaiah in your Bibles and you might go to Isaiah 1 to begin with. This time of year when special attention is focused on the birth of Christ, we take the opportunity to go to some of those familiar passages which draw our attention to the wonder of the birth of the One who was the Son of God, who became a man without ceasing to be God. The wonder of the person of Christ and the purpose of His coming.

Isaiah is usually viewed as the greatest of what we would refer to as the writing prophets. By that we mean a prophet who was used of God to record his prophecies. We have Elijah who is perhaps the greatest of the Old Testament prophets as a prophet, but he didn't write any books. There is no book of Elijah. But Isaiah was appointed by God to not only speak for Him but to record extensively the word that God gave to him. I want to remind you as you look at not only Isaiah, but the record of the prophets in the Old Testament, you have to keep in mind God did not clarify for the Old Testament prophets the order and sequence of events that would unfold in the prophecies He was giving them. And so sometimes it can seem a little bit confusing as you read the Old Testament prophets. We'll see examples of that in Isaiah. By that I mean they can be speaking about events of their day, then they may jump forward and speak about the coming kingdom that the Messiah will rule over. Then they may come back and speak more about present day events. Then they may talk about events that relate to His first coming. And back and forth. And this is one reason why the Old Testament prophets didn't have a clear understanding of how God's prophesied plans would come to be.

For example Isaiah will talk about the first coming of Christ, being born; and the second coming of Christ, ruling and reigning. But you don't know that there are, so far, 2000 years between His being born and His ruling and reigning. He'll talk about His suffering and dying, then yet he'll talk about His reigning in glory. So it is later revelation that unfolds and makes clear the order of events. And we understand as we go back and read that these things are not put in order.

I don't know what a good example is. Perhaps if you were going to build a house, you would sit down and explain all the things that you wanted to be part of this house. Then it may be put together and you see how it all will come together. Well, we have a lot of, I don't like to call it pieces, but God reveals piecemeal His revelation and later He'll clarify it. And it is the book of Revelation that will put these things finally in their clear order.

Isaiah was a great prophet. You'll remember one of the characteristics of the times when a prophet came on the scene; it was a time of spiritual decay among God's people. They were not functioning in the way that God intended them. So any time you come to any of the prophets and their writings, you are reminded this is a time of spiritual decay in the nation Israel.

Isaiah dates his prophecy in Isaiah 1:1 because you have the kings. He prophesied during the time of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Isaiah's prophecy will be directed toward the southern kingdom. Remember the kingdom is divided under David's son. And so you have the northern ten tribes and then you have the southern kingdom comprised of Judah and Benjamin, usually referred to just as Judah which was the dominant tribe. Isaiah's prophecy in light of the dates of these kings ran from about 739 B.C. to 701 B.C. We round it off to say 740 to 700. We know he prophesied over that 40-year period. It's a significant time in the history of the nation. Even though his prophecies will be directed toward the southern kingdom, during the time he is prophesying, about in the middle, 722 B.C., the northern ten tribes will be conquered and carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. Isaiah will have things to say about what necessitates that. And the southern kingdom really doesn't learn anything because they continue in their sin and around 150 years later they will be carried away into captivity by the Babylonians.

You see something of the wretched condition of the nation Israel as Isaiah begins his prophecy. We like positive things in our day. I was listening to a little bit of the news this morning when I was getting ready. And they were talking about they were going to be having a very popular television pastor on. And everybody likes him because he is so encouraging and so positive. They wouldn't have liked Isaiah. After Isaiah dates his prophecy in verse 1, he starts out in verse 2 saying, listen, oh heavens and hear oh earth, for the Lord speaks. This is not a matter of liking or disliking Isaiah, this is a matter of listening to what God says. The Lord speaks and He says, sons I have reared and brought up, but they have revolted against Me. He's talking about His people, the nation Israel. I reared them, I brought them up and they have rebelled against Me. An ox knows its owner and a donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand. Even the animals have better sense than My people. They have rebelled against Me, the God who raised them, the God who has provided for them.

Alas sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly. They have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him. These are the people who are supposed to belong to God and honor Him, and this is what they have come to.

Come down to verse 10, hear the Word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed many years prior to Isaiah's prophecy. But they had become proverbial for sin and wickedness. And what God says through Isaiah to the nation Israel, you are just like Sodom and Gomorrah. How much more vile and wicked could they be? He calls them Sodom and Gomorrah. Then he tells them, what are your multiplied sacrifices to Me, says the Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, the fat of fed cattle. I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no more.

Verse 15, when you spread out your hands in prayer, I'll hide My eyes from you. Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. You see the seriousness of worship offered by people who do not bow in faith before the living God, do not believe in Him and honor Him by obedience to His Word. He says, I hate your worship, it is sacrilege. It is trampling of My courts. Your prayers, I wouldn't even listen to them. This is serious business to be in rebellion against God.

So that's how Isaiah starts his prophecy. Wouldn't make him the most popular person in the nation. But in this there is grace. God invites them, “Isaiah 1:18, Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” I would still be gracious and cleanse you, wash you clean from the defilement of your sin. I mean, what a gracious offer from the living God. That will continue to be rejected by the people to whom Isaiah prophesies.

So you talk about the present condition of the sin of the nation and God's offer of salvation; God promises restoration to the nation. We'll just jump down into “Isaiah 2:2, Now it will come about in the last days, The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains,” a mountain representing a kingdom. And the center of the kingdom will be at Mt. Zion, Jerusalem will be the capital of the world and all kingdoms will be subject to the kingdom of the Lord.

“Isaiah2:3&4, And many peoples will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob;” Remember Jacob is Israel, Jacob's name was changed to Israel. “That He may teach us concerning His ways, And that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from Zion, And the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” I believe the United Nations has this verse inscribed there. Totally misunderstands it. There will be no peace until the King of kings comes to rule over this earth. You'll notice here in the midst of the spiritual decadence and sinful condition of the nation, God gives the glorious assurance, someday the promises I have given regarding a kingdom will be fulfilled. I think this is one of the reasons God brings these things together the way He does and mixes them. May seem a little confusing but as they are sorted out, we are reminded we must keep the total picture that God has unfolded. We are dealing with the sin of mankind, the sin of Israel, even the people God has chosen for Himself.

We are going to be dealing with the promises of God and the sin of the people will not frustrate the purposes and plan of God. When all is said and done, God will be exalted, man will be humbled and Christ will rule. That will be reminded in “Isaiah 2:11, 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.” Repeated in verse 17.

Then a reminder to the people of Isaiah's day, which is a good reminder for us. Stop regarding man whose breath of life is in his nostrils. That's it. You'll take your last breath, I will take my last breath, that will be the end of me, it will be the end of you. Why should we esteem men? Honor God is the point.
You keep coming, we don't have time, there is a promise in “Isaiah 4:2, In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel.” There is a future coming. It goes on, and yet in the midst of it the people that reject God. Isaiah 5, the vineyard of the Lord and all He has done and they continue to reject Him. The end of “Isaiah 5:12, But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord, Nor do they consider the work of His hands.” The end of “Isaiah5:24, For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.”

Then you come to Isaiah 6 and you have the vision of the glory of God in the preincarnate Christ. In John 12:41 when John quotes from Isaiah 6 and this glorious revelation to Isaiah he says that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ. This is the preincarnate Christ. The burning ones, the seraphim of heaven cry out, “Isaiah 6: 3, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” And Isaiah, struck by his sin in the presence of a holy God, cries out to Him.

Come over to Isaiah 9, and the chapter opens up with a glorious promise of the coming of the Messiah. “Isaiah 9:1, But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” This northern part of Israel, the land up around Galilee in the region of the Galilee, there is going to be a great light come into the darkness of that place. This is a prophecy of the first coming of Christ.

Come back to Matthew 4. And now we have Christ on earth, the prophesied One has come. “Matthew 4:12-16, Now when He heard that John the Baptist had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; [That's the region we just read about in Isaiah] and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled into Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulon and Naphtali. [Two of the tribes of Israel settled in that region.] This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah, the prophet saying, The land of Zebulon, the land of Naphtali, By the way of the Sea. beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, And to those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them light dawned.” So the coming of Christ through His birth at Bethlehem and His settling in Nazareth and then moving to Capernaum, the region of Galilee, the light of the presence of the Son of God now is manifest in that region.

Come back to Isaiah 9. Light has come into the spiritual darkness. Do you know what? Between verse 2 and verse 3 of Isaiah 9 you have some 2,000 years. And moving from events from the first coming to the Second Coming of Christ and the events that will culminate—the judgment and the tribulation culminating with His return. So we say you have brought together in the Old Testament and the period we live in, the Church Age from Acts 2 down until the rapture of the church and the subsequent seven-year tribulation which is revealed in the Old Testament. That period from Acts 2 down to the rapture of the church isn't included in the Old Testament. So you have a period which has run some 2,000 years not part of God's revelation in the Old Testament. It won't change, further revelation we have in the New Testament doesn't alter anything in the Old Testament; it just clarifies time. And so between verses 2 and 3, you'll have 2,000 years. Doesn't change anything about what was said in verses 1 and 2, it won't change anything said in verse 3ff. Then when you come down to verse 6, the first line in that verse takes us back to the first coming of Christ. “John 9:6, For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us.” Some see here both the humanity and deity of Christ—a child born refers to His humanity, the Son given may be an indication of His position as Son of God. And then he'll go on to talk about the reign of Christ in the kingdom He'll establish on the earth. So really between the first line in verse 6 and the second line, the government will rest on His shoulders, again you could put 2,000 years.

So you see how the prophets can go back and forth and it can be confusing. But in putting this all together, it was a reminder to the people that it was given as a complete picture of God. And even though they couldn't understand how it would all unfold time wise, they knew the overall truth. We are living in a time when people have rejected the living God. God promises His salvation, He promises the Son. A virgin shall conceive as Isaiah 7:14 said, and conceive, bear a son and his name will be Immanuel. And a child will be born, a Son will be given, verse 6, and someday the kingdom of the world will center in Jerusalem. The government will rest on His shoulders, and keep the complete picture. We need to be careful as God's people, now we understand something of the unfolding of the time, but it's no less important that we see it all. Israel is constantly reminded, this will culminate in a kingdom for all those who trust in the God of Israel and the promises He has given. And the gracious invitation of His salvation—come now and let us reason together, though your sins are as scarlet and as blood, they will be cleansed. You'll be as white as snow. That's important that you understand the end.

So we come to Isaiah 9:6, I want to just walk through a few of these verses, remind ourselves of the wonder of the child who was born, the Son who was given. We have names describing Him and what His ultimate position will be. I mean, how could they have grasped? Peter writes in the New Testament that the Old Testament prophets couldn't understand how all that they were writing about could unfold. I mean, how could you understand? Isaiah will later have chapter 53 and talk about the rejection, suffering and death of the Messiah of Israel, and how could He suffer and die and rule and reign in glory. We understand that, we have fuller revelation. But do you know what? Isaiah still had to believe it. We believe the Word of God. I'm not claiming I understand everything in the Word of God, but I do believe it. Then someday I will understand it more clearly. I understand it more clearly today than I did the day I came to trust Christ.

So we have in verse 6, a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us. And that marvelous bringing together, and how do you explain that, as we talked in our previous study in John 1. Then he makes the statement, and the government will rest on His shoulders. That's talking about His sovereign rule over all. He will rule. I mean, the picture of the government resting on His shoulders is the picture of His sovereign rule over all. Isn't it interesting? You go from the statement, this child will be born, and He is ruling.

Come over to Luke 1. And the angel appears to the virgin Mary to tell her she is going to give birth to a child. The opening verses, verse Luke 1:26ff, this angel, the angel Gabriel appeared to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, from the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He came in and greeted her. I mean, nothing like it, here comes an angel and says, greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you. She is perplexed. The angel said, do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, bear a son. You shall name Him Jesus. This is where we were with Isaiah 6:1, a child will be born, you will bear a son. Now we have a little more information—you shall call His name Jesus. Then note this, He will be great, will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom will have no end. She didn't ask, how can He reign? She is familiar evidently of the prophecies, but she does wonder how she could conceive, not having had sexual relations with a man. It is a supernatural conception as the angel explains.

But you'll note what is said here. Verses 31 and 32, between verses 31 and 32 again there is at least a 2,000-year gap. Christ was born about 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary, but He still is not ruling and reigning on the throne of David over all the earth. God has seen fit to not yet unfold how that will take place. Mary might assume hearing this directly from the angel Gabriel who comes from the presence of God that I'll give birth to this Son, He'll grow up to be the Messiah, the kingdom is not far away. I'll see it in my lifetime. She will not. Two thousand years later, we are still waiting for Him to assume the throne of His father David and reign over the house of Jacob, Israel, forever. He'll reign over all the earth but the focal point of the kingdom is the Jews and they will be the key people, the capital will be Jerusalem. That point, you have the same events. It is later revelation that is going to unfold more in detail. We get some of that in the Gospels but the fullness of it later. It will not be until the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, that you get a detailed unfolding of events culminating through the seven-year tribulation and the detailed unfolding of that period, climaxing with the Millennium, the thousand-year kingdom, climaxing with the new heavens and the new earth and the eternal phase of the kingdom. But they are all true, just in God's order as He chooses to make it known to us.

So come back to Isaiah 9. This child will be born, a Son will be given. That's His birth we are celebrating, 2,000 years after it occurred. The government will rest on His shoulders. That will happen, we'll say more about that in a moment. He says His name will be called. And he is going to give four names here, I think four pairs go together for four names or titles. These aren't necessarily names that He'll be called by—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace—but they are descriptive of Him. And in the kingdom that will be revealed to all, that's who He is. Now those who have trusted Him recognize this because this is His character. The names are a revelation of His character.

Let's walk through these quickly. He will be called Wonderful Counselor. Now this is in the context of when He rules and reigns, the government resting on His shoulder. But the reality of it for believers is experienced to a certain extent now because this is who He is. And we know Him for who He is. This expression Wonderful Counselor, a wonder of a counselor, but Wonderful Counselor. The word wonder, wonderful denotes something incomprehensible.

Come back to Judges 13. And this is when the preincarnate Christ manifests Himself in a particular situation in connection with the birth of a child, Samson, that will come up. And the angel of the Lord was the way the preincarnate Christ manifested Himself on occasion in the Old Testament. In “Judges 14:17, And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” This is incomprehensible. When he asked His name, he is asking His identity so that he could know Him, but to know the fullness of this One who is God—impossible. And through the actions that subsequently take place, “Judges 13:22, So Manoah said to his wife, We will surely die for we have seen God.” And then his wife will put it in perspective. You see that name Wonderful. Why do you ask My name? It is wonderful, it is incomprehensible. I mean, the knowledge of who you are addressing is far beyond what you can comprehend and grasp. It doesn't mean God doesn't make Himself known. You understand He is incomprehensible, the fullness and wonder of His person.

So when you come back to Isaiah 9 and He is called the Wonderful Counselor, that counselor denotes His wisdom. And when He rules over all the earth, it will be with incomprehensible wisdom that belongs to Him as the God/Man. We are constantly debating and discussing and disagreeing with the decisions that the rulers in this world make. With our own President—was that the best decision? Was that a wise decision? Was that a good . . . When Christ rules over the earth, it will be with the wisdom that is incomprehensible to man because it is an infinite wisdom to govern and rule over all.

Come over to the New Testament, Romans 11. We're going to Romans 11 because Romans 11 quotes from Isaiah 40. And we could have gone to Isaiah 40 but I want you to see that this truth that is being revealed concerning Christ and what is true of Him and will be revealed as true of Him in all the world when He reigns in His kingdom is true for us now as believers. A reminder, we benefit from this. In “Romans 11:33, Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Now he is going to quote from Isaiah 40. Who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become His counselor? Who has first given to Him that it may be paid back to Him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. You see, verse 33, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. And His judgment and His ways are unsearchable. He is the Wonderful Counselor, unfathomable in His wisdom and understanding. And no one can become His counselor to give Him advice. And that's an encouragement to us because He is our God, He is our Savior, He is the One we turn to.

1 Corinthians 1:24 says, Christ is the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God. Personified in the person of Christ. Colossians 2:3, in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Is it any wonder that He is the Wonderful Counselor? All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him. He is the Wonderful Counselor, the One we go to, the wonder of having His Word revealed and the truth concerning Him and the fullness of it. That's why the psalmist said in Psalm 119:24 that your Word is my counsel, my counselors are your statutes. Where do we go? Where could I go but to the Lord? In our confusion and in the trials that come to our life, difficulties, we sometimes are frustrated and don't know what to do. Come to Him, He is the Wonderful Counselor. I come to His Word and say, Lord, you are sovereign, you know all things. I'm confused, I feel despair, I'm discouraged. I come to the riches of His Word, to the Wonderful Counselor, to the unfolding of the truth He has given and I find the peace, the tranquility. I don't always get a clear answer because He is the incomprehensible God. His ways are unfathomable. I can come and say, Lord, I don't understand why you've done what you’ve done or why you are doing what you are doing. But, it's important, that's a good “but,” but I know you are the God of all wisdom, you are the God who is working the perfection of what you have promised. And this is for my good, this is for accomplishing your purposes in my life, and I don't have to know, I don't have to have understanding because I belong to the God who has incomprehensible wisdom. And I trust Him. That's the Savior that we have, the One born at Bethlehem, He's the Wonderful Counselor.

The book that was given to me that I'm sure I'll benefit from when I need to focus more on me and love me more. I'll just give myself a big hug every morning. No. I know the God in whom my security is, my confidence. And He is doing exactly what should be done, what is best, what is right, will accomplish the purposes and fulfillment of all He has promised.

Come back to Isaiah 9. Again, these are things promised for a future kingdom, but they are promises that we experience in our walk with God today. Some day they will be universally recognized and known. He'll be called the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. It's good to know that the One who will rule the universe is the One who has all power. He is the mighty God. Clear statement of the deity of Christ. Verse 6, a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. His name will be called Mighty God. Is it any clearer than that? I wonder what Isaiah was thinking. I know a virgin will conceive and will call His name Immanuel, how that all works out. Now this child that will be born, He's going to be called the Mighty God. How can the Mighty God be born? I mean, a contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, said in Micah 5, the One born at Bethlehem will be the One who has dwelt in eternity. Wow! Ai yi yi! And now you tell me He's the Mighty God. I mean, I'm looking for a Messiah to come and rule and reign. I recognize this One who is going to rule and reign over all the earth who will be born to us will be the Mighty God.

Isaiah doesn't have to understand it, but he has to believe it. He may not be able to figure it all out and understand it even with the clarity we have now with the fullness of revelation God has given and the coming to earth of His Son. But it is no less real for him, that I believe in the midst of our turmoil, the midst of the sin of the nation and the rejection of God and the prophecies I have to give of coming judgment, someday a child will be born and he will be the Mighty God. Well, Isaiah, that doesn't sound rational or reasonable. Well, I believe it. The God that I serve, the Savior I have, the One born at Bethlehem is the Mighty God. He is the One who promised He came to bring salvation to me and after the provision of that salvation with His death and resurrection He ascended to heaven and He said He is preparing a place for us in the glory of His Father, “John 14:3&4, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am there you may be also.” I believe it. All I have is the Word of God.

What do you think heaven is going to be like? And then what about the establishing of the kingdom? And how do you think that's all going to come about? I know some of it but I don't know all of it. But I don't have to. Well then how can you be sure it will happen? The One who is my Savior is the Mighty God. He has all power. Then when it is time for Him to rule over all the earth, He will rule over all the earth. And now we as believers of Him are privileged to walk with Him. He said when He provided for us it was so we could abide in Him and He abide in us. I mean, how good does that get? The Mighty God.

Eternal Father, Eternal Father. You know it strikes us strange perhaps, we talk about in verse 6, a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. And now we are saying He is eternally a Father. Is He God the Father? No, He is the Son. But a characteristic of God is He functions as a Father to His people. And in the coming kingdom when Christ rules over the earth won't it be great to have a king who has all power, all wisdom and He is functioning always for the good of the people over which He reigns. He is eternally a Father. That's the point, that's a characteristic of God.

Turn back to Psalm 103, I have several verses but we'll have to limit them. I had a chance to hear a pastor yesterday at a funeral and he made a statement that he was going to be short. Then he laughed and said, did you ever hear a pastor who was short? He says, I'll rephrase that, I'm not going to be as long as I could be. I thought that was a good way to put it, keep that in mind. “Psalm 103:13, Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame, He is mindful that we are but dust.” Isn't it nice to know we have One who is eternally a Father, always caring for me. He has compassion on those who fear Him, just as a father has compassion on his children. He knows how weak we are, He knows how frail we are. And He has compassion on us, He understands, He cares for us. Eternally a Father. This has always been the characteristic of God. The One born at Bethlehem is the One who is eternally a Father. What a comfort that is to us. When He rules and reigns over all, that will be a kingdom that we would love. He will fashion and function with compassion and understanding and always the wellbeing of His people. And we are privileged to walk with this sovereign Savior today. The kingdom is not here on earth, but I know Him, I belong to Him, He functions as a Father to me. No one understands, no one cares. There is the song, no one ever cared for me like Jesus. That's true. Everybody doesn't have to understand. Oh poor me. No, my Father understands, He is eternally a Father functioning for my good, my wellbeing.

Come back to Isaiah 9. He is the Prince of Peace. Of course the ultimate realization of this and the world over which He rules, it will be a world of peace. When Christ rules on the earth there will be peace on the earth. There will be peace among the animal world, there will be peace among the human population of the world. Turn over to Isaiah 11. Again in Isaiah 11 you have the first coming of Christ and the Second Coming brought together. In the opening verses you have some that will have to do with the first coming of Christ and ultimately realization in its fullness in the Second Coming. Then we are told in Isaiah 11:6, And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.” No animosity between animals, no animosity between animals and people. Some of you really like animals. You are going to have fun in the kingdom. No animosity, no problem. Maybe I'll even get to like them a little bit. The cow and the bear will graze, the young will lie down together, the lion will eat straw like the ox. That's what happens, we're going back to the pre-fall condition. Things like they were. The animals will be vegetarians so they won't be killing one another. So the lion, no problem. You want a pet lion? No problem, hang on. It is yet future. There is going to be peace.

“Isaiah 11:9, They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” He is the Prince of Peace and He will bring peace to the world. And there will be no peace until He comes. There will be artificial peace and the nations of the earth adjust and we will get to a time when we think, there is a ruler now who has come who has brought peace. But he will be the worst of the worst. The peace that he establishes, even bringing peace for Israel with a covenant agreement will be the prelude to a time like the world has never seen; when billions of people will die in the judgments of God. But when Christ reigns don't forget the ultimate end. People say, you are so pessimistic, you are always talking about judgment, you are always talking about the earth being destroyed, you're always talking about . . . I'm a pessimistic optimist, I believe it is going to get worse but I believe the ultimate end will be the best because He is sovereign.

We want to pretend like it is not going to happen. It's going to get worse. We have seen nothing yet, the world has experienced nothing like this. All the judgments, all the catastrophes are just a prelude to the awfulness of the coming destruction that will overtake the world. That's what Revelation 6-19 is about. But then we get to Revelation 20. In Revelation 19 Christ returns, in Revelation 20 we have His thousand-year reign and the final judgment, then in Rev 21 we move into eternity. We'll have a new heavens and a new earth, and He reigns forever.

So we keep the whole picture in mind, otherwise we are living this day focused so narrowly and small that we lose the overall picture. Then we are discouraged, we are disheartened, we are wondering what is happening to our country. What's going to happen in the next elections? What about this decision? Our Savior is in control, all things are being accomplished to bring it to His appointed end. I couldn't be any safer, I couldn't be any more protected. Neither could you as a believer.

Come back to Isaiah 9 and we'll just read the rest of the verses. “Isaiah 9: 7, There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” I like to say I've read the last chapter. How do I know this is going to happen? The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish it. Can you get any more firm guarantee than that? The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish it. I don't see how all this is going to get done, I don't see how all this could happen. I don't have to. I know the One who has infinite wisdom as the Mighty Counselor. He is the Mighty God, He is the Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Could it get any more sure than that?

That's why the prophets often gave their prophecies of the future in the past tense. When God says it, it is just as done, just as sure as if it happened yesterday. We just have to wait until we are there. Some day you and I are going to be part of this kingdom. We'll be on this earth, Christ will be ruling from Jerusalem, we will be sharing with responsibilities in the administration of the earth. We're going to be saying, can you believe it? Here we are, we're here, the kingdom is here. Isn't it amazing? Remember when we talked about it and it seemed like we were waiting a long time? And here we are. When you look back, time goes quickly. I'm 70, when I was 20 I thought 70 would never come. Do you know what? It “come.” And here I am. When we're in the kingdom we're going to look back and say, that didn't amount to anything. Here it is, it seemed like it was going to take a while to get here, but it didn't. Now we're here forever.

That's the promise we have and the Savior we have. The Savior we are privileged to walk with is the One who will rule and reign and He takes care of me, He takes care of you, just like He'll take care of the world in that coming day.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the wonder of the child who has been born, the son who has been given. Lord, how richly, richly blessed we are to know Him as the One who loved us and died for us, the One who came and died to provide salvation that will enable the final fulfillment of all you have promised. Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of belonging to you and to your Son, being under your care, knowing that you provide in every way, you protect, your compassion is there. Lord, we have a glorious future. We are not discouraged or disappointed in the wretchedness of the world around us. We are saddened to see their rejection of the Savior, but we are blessed to know Him and make Him known in these days. May we never lose sight of the complete picture. We pray in Christ's name, amen.