76. The Faithful and True

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Hymns: RHC 284 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus 325 A Shelter in the Time of Storm 324 Trusting Jesus

Isaiah 25:1-12

1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 2 For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. 3 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. 4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. 6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. 11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. 12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

The Faithful and True

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION

The exhortation to follow the Christ of the Bible. He is the Faithful and True King who will lead us to His everlasting kingdom.

Isaiah pronounces God’s judgment upon the Gentile nations. These are Babylon (Isa. 13-14; 21:1-10), Palestina (Isa. 14:28-32), Moab (Isa. 15-16), Syria (Isa. 17), Ethiopia (Isa. 18), Egypt (Isa. 19-20), Edom (Isa. 21:11-12), Arabia (Isa. 21:13-17), Tyre (Isa. 23). These are nations that surround and beyond Israel. The LORD is in charge not only of His people by all people, all nations.

In chapters 24-27, the prophet Isaiah expand the view to judgments upon the entire world in the day of the Lord.

In chapter 24, we saw the Day of the Lord when He establishes His physical kingdom on earth, ruling as King of kings and Lord of lords – The LORD Reigns over the Earth.

The establishment of the kingdom of Israel looks forward to the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. From the nation of Israel, Christ will rule the nations of the world. This is the prophetic vision.

However, His people Israel in Isaiah’s time were laden with sin, the nation was thoroughly, utterly corrupt. This is the picture of the sinner in the sight of God.

Romans 3:10-18 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Nevertheless, there were a remnant that has not departed from God, albeit very small remnant. God shall keep the remnant and use the remnant to bring to fruition His redemption plan in Christ’s First Coming through their first exile from the land in Babylon for 70 years.

And Israel shall depart from the LORD again, crucifying their Christ after their returning to the land. Their second exile will be for nearly 2000 years from A.D. 70 to 14 May 1948, when Israel shall be physically back in the land again. Yet still, they do not recognize their Christ or Messiah.

The overall theme is found in Isaiah’s name, which means “Jehovah’s salvation.” “In that one name is compressed the whole contents of the book” (Jennings). It refers to the salvation of Israel (Isa. 45:17), the salvation of the Gentiles (Isa. 45:22), and ultimately the salvation of the creation through Christ. Isaiah sees a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 66:22).

Here in Isaiah 25, we see the time when Christ establishment His kingdom in Israel and rules from Israel.

The prophets were God’s spokesmen (Jer. 1:9). They wrote by the moving of God’s Spirit. A key New Testament verse that teaches this is 2 Pe. 1:21.

The prophets did not just describe the future. Their two-fold ministry involved both fore-telling (telling future events) and forth-telling (preaching). The prophets revealed God. The chief purpose of Bible prophecy is to reveal God to man.

In the prophets we see the character of God, both His severity and His goodness (Ro. 11:12).

The prophets prepared for the coming of the Messiah. The first Messianic prophecies were recorded in the books of Moses, beginning in Genesis 3:15. From the days of the Judges, prophets were raised up by God to instruct and reprove Israel during periods of spiritual decline. [David Cloud]

The Jewish prophets spoke not only to Israel, but also to the nations of the whole world (e.g., Isa. 1:2; 34:1; 42:10-12; 45:22). “To a correct understanding of the prophetic functions, and of the writings of the prophets, however, it is necessary to bear in remembrance that the office of foretelling future events comprised only a small portion of their public duties. They were the messengers of God to His people and to the world. They were appointed to make known His will, to denounce His judgments, to rebuke the crimes of rulers and people, to instruct in the doctrines of religion, and generally to do whatever was necessary in order to effectually promulgate the will of God. The prophet was, therefore, a man who was commissioned to teach and rebuke kings and nations, as well as to predict future events.” (Barnes)

Isaiah a Little Bible – The book of Isaiah has been called the little Bible because both Isaiah and the Bible have 66 chapters, and both are further divided into 39 chapters and 27 chapters. In the case of the Bible, the first segment of 39 chapters, the Old Testament, emphasizes law and judgment, whereas the second segment of 27 chapters, the New Testament, emphasizes grace and redemption. The same is true for Isaiah. Isaiah 1-39 – Warnings (the coming judgment) Isaiah 40-66 – Grace, Comfort, and Hope (the coming kingdom) In the middle of the last section is Isaiah 53, the prophecy of Christ’s sacrificial death. This explains how the holy God can be reconciled to sinful man and why there can be hope not only for Israel but for the whole world. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are not wholly about judgment, and the last 27 chapters are not wholly about redemption, for redemption messages are mixed into the first 39 chapters, and judgment warnings are mixed into the last 27 chapters. Isaiah is a “little Bible” also because it is so comprehensive. It is inexhaustible. What a wealth of revelation God has given to men. [David Cloud]

Isaiah asks how long Israel will be blinded, and God replies that she will be blinded until there is a great forsaking in the midst of the land. This describes the seventy-year captivity under the Babylonians as well as the dispersions of the Jews to the ends of the earth for the past 2,000 years.

The Apostle Paul tells us that all Israel shall come to acknowledge their LORD after their return to the land the second time.

Romans 11:1-36 (KJV) I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

This is the gist of Isaiah 25 the kingdom of the Antichrist will be destroyed. Christ will establish His kingdom.

  • Antichrist’s Kingdom Destroyed and Christ’s Kingdom Established (v1-3)

1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Christ is called the Faithful and True – Revelation 19:11 (KJV) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Revelation 19:1-3 (KJV) And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Christ defeats the kingdom of the Antichrist bringing it to ruins. Today, Satan and his minions seemed to be wreaking havoc on earth. Isaiah sees the entire career of the devil, his fall through pride (Isa. 14:12-17), his destruction (Isa. 27:1), the lifting of the veil of spiritual deception from off the earth (Isa. 25:7).

2 For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

The destruction will be so thorough, it shall not be built again.

Revelation 19:11-21 (KJV) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

  • Christ Is the True Refuge (v4-12)

4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

Christ is strength to the poor in spirit, those who mourn for their sins (Matt. 5:3-4).

Matthew 5:3-4 (KJV) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

The greatest distress of man is the grievousness of sin. Christ is that shelter to take away sins and to be a refuge for His people who enjoys His peace and righteousness.

A shadow from the heat is a fitting description of shelter and shield from the scourge and heat of life without God and in this world.

When the blast of the terrible ones – Of the fierce, mighty, invading enemies. When they sweep down all before them as a furious tempest does. [Barnes]

The idea is, probably, that of a fierce driving storm that would prostrate walls and houses; meaning a violent tempest, and intending to describe in a striking manner the severity of the calamities that had come upon the nation. [Barnes]

6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

With the LORD is safety and protection. David says in Psalm 23:5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”

In mount Zion, that is, in Jerusalem. The following verses undoubtedly refer to the times of the Messiah.

The feast is a picture of true joy with the LORD feeding His people.

A “feast of fat things” describes the rich blessings, both spiritual and physical. “Wines on the lees” refers to old wine that has been left to sit on the lees, which is the yeast and other particles that settle to the bottom during the aging process. The prophet is saying not only that the wine will be rich and full, but also that the crops will produce bountifully so that there will be much remaining from season to season. [David Cloud]

The kingdom will be filled with spiritual light (Isa. 25:7). God will destroy the veil of satanic darkness that currently envelops the world. In Christ’s kingdom, the devil will be incarcerated in the bottomless pit and will not be allowed to deceive the nations.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Ephesians 2:1-3 (KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

God is the God of compassion who will swallow up death in victory and wipe away tears from off all faces (Isa. 25:8).

The kingdom will be the home of the immortal (Isa. 25:8). In the millennial kingdom, multitudes will live in immortal bodies, having been resurrected. These will be the Old Testament saints (Da. 12:1-2), the church age saints (1 Co. 15:23, 51-53), and the tribulation saints (Re. 20:4). But there will still be death in the millennium (Isa. 65:20). After the creation of the new heaven and the new earth, death will cease (Re. 21:4). 10.

The kingdom will be joyful (“God will wipe away tears from off all faces,” Isa. 25:8). This will be fulfilled to a large degree in the millennial kingdom. Compare Isaiah 35:10. The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy points to the New Jerusalem (Re. 21:4). 11. The kingdom will witness the exaltation of Israel (“the rebuke of his people shall he take away,” Isa. 25:8). For 2,000 years the Jews have been hated throughout the earth because of God’s judgment (De. 28:64-66; Jer. 29:18).

Most of the world’s newspapers depict Israel in a negative light. She is condemned in the United Nations. She is blamed for the trouble in the Middle East. She is told to internationalize her capital city Jerusalem and give up her land to the Palestinians. Anti[1]semitism is rampant. Jews are murdered in their own synagogues. But in that day Israel will be exalted and blessed by all nations. [David Cloud]

Isaiah 61:6 (KJV) But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

Isaiah 61:9 (KJV) And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.

Zechariah 8:13 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.

9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

The kingdom will be established when Israel recognizes Jesus as her God (Isa. 25:9). Whereas Israel rejected Jesus and said, “We have no king but Caesar” (Joh. 19:15), the time will come when she will fall before Him and say, “Lo, this is our God.” The redeemed of Israel will follow the example of Thomas who exclaimed to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (Joh. 20:28). God’s people must wait on Him. Patient waiting on God’s promises is a fundamental element of successful Christian living. God’s Word is true (“for the LORD hath spoken it,” Isa. 25:8), and faith waits for the fulfillment. Twice the Psalmist teaches us to wait on the Lord (Ps. 27:14; 37:34). [David Cloud]

Psalm 27:14 (KJV) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 37:34 (KJV) Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. 11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. 12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

The kingdom will witness God’s judgment on rebellious nations (v10-12). Moab is used as an example of the destruction of the enemies of God. The destruction of Moab is prophesied in Isaiah 15-16; 25:10-12; Jeremiah 48; Ezekiel 25:8-11; Amos 2:1-3.

Amos 2:1-3 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime: But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet: And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.

CONCLUSION

Let His people cleave to Him for their very lives. Amen.