Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Dawning of a New Day PT-2 (Isaiah 60:15-22)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/21/2013 9:00 AM
My Worship Time                                                          Focus:  The Dawning of a New Day PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Isaiah 60:15-22
            Message of the verses:  We will continue to look at Isaiah 60 in today’s SD, looking at last eight verses of the chapter.
            Isaiah 60:15-22:  “15 "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation. 16 “You will also suck the milk of nations And suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators And righteousness your overseers. 18 “Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. 19 "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. 20 “Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over. 21 “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. 22 “The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.’”
            We see in this section some of the joys that Israel will experience in the Kingdom Age with Messiah Jesus ruling from Jerusalem.  The Gentile nations will no longer fight against them but will be used of God to bless them.  Their days will be like when Solomon ruled and made silver not worth much for all had gold.  Isaiah has much to say in his book about the Kingdom age, and as mentioned before it is hard at times to distinguish between when he is speaking about it for there are times when he is referring to the times he lived in, but it also points to this promised kingdom that will take place at the end of the tribulation period.
            Dr. Wiersbe concluded this section by talking about how John the Apostle used some of these words to describe the eternal kingdom: “John used some of the characteristics of the millennial Jerusalem when he described the Holy City (Rev. 21-22):  The sun never sets; there is no sorrow; the gates never close; etc.  But the city Isaiah describes is the capital city of the restored Jewish nation, and Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of David and judge righteously.  The Jewish ‘remnant’ will increase and fill the land (Isaiah 60:22; 51:2; 54:3).”
            Some may wonder where the Church will be at when the Millennia Kingdom happens.  I have mentioned that it is my belief that the Church age will end at what is called “The Rapture of the Church” which is described in a number of places in the NT, but 1 Thes. 4:13-18 gives one of the best descriptions of this event. 1 Cor. 15:51-58 gives another description of this event, and the Apostle Paul speaks of it as a “mystery” a word used to describe something new in the NT which was not revealed in the OT.  So if we who are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of our lives believing He died in our place to take away our sins, where will we be during the tribulation period and then the Millennial Kingdom age.  I believe that the Church will be in heaven during the tribulation period and one of the things that will happen while there is the Supper of the Lamb and also the judgment seat of Christ where believers from the Church age will receive their rewards for service done while on earth.  Revelations chapter nineteen speaks of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to end the battle of Armageddon:  “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty (Rev. 19:11-16).”  Jesus mentioned in what is called “The Olivet Discourse” that if He did not return when He did that the entire earth would be destroyed, and so He returns to end this battle, to judge the nations, to separate the sheep from the goats, and with Him, I believe will be the Church as described in the 14th verse.  We will rule and reign with Him during the Millennial Kingdom.
            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In the second letter Peter wrote he mentions what will happen at the end of the Millennial Kingdom for after it the entire universe will be destroyed by fire as God will actually un-create what He created as described in Genesis chapter one.  Peter goes on to say that if all this is going to happen what kind of people should we be and how should we be living our lives. 
My Steps of Faith for Today:  Live my life in a way that I will be serving the Lord and not myself.
Memory verse for the week:  1 Cor. 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “A white horse” (Rev. 19:11).
Today’s Bible Question: “Who had a conversation with a donkey?”
Answer in our next SD.

12/21/2013 10:22 AM

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