Bible Study: November 15, 2023

Okay, so tonight, you know, last time we stopped off in the middle of chapter 61. But near the end of it, there was a question that came up as we read Isaiah 61.6. So I thought we would start with explaining or answering that question that came up near the end of the Bible study last week. Let's go back and look at Isaiah 61 a little bit. This is, of course, the chapter where God is talking about the restoration of all things. Jesus Christ comes, He comforts those who are mourns, He gives them mourns, He gives them beauty for ashes, garments of praise for the Spirit of heaviness. And then we talked about rebuilding the old ruins. The spiritual rebuilding is what physical rebuilding that will occur at the time that Christ returns. Remember, the world is in ruins. When we got down to verse 6, it says there that, you shall be named, you shall be named the priests of the Lord, and they shall call you the servants of our God. And we talked about that, that, you know, again, this is a millennial verse talking about first fruits, what we will be when Christ returns. We will no longer be flesh if we live our lives in the way that God calls us to live them, and that when He returns, we will be resurrected to become like Him. And we turn to Revelation 1, verse 6, if you remember. So let me go back there to Revelation 1. And in Revelation 1 and verse 5, we read verses 5 and 6, from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to whom be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. And the question came up last time about, well, what does that mean, kings and priests? And if you remember, whoever asked the question, I can picture, but I don't remember her first name, you know, said, well, what about 1 Peter 2.9, where it calls us a royal priesthood, a special nation, and is it kings and priests, or are we just a kingdom of priests? And so we answered that last week. But then another question came in through email, so I thought we would spend a little bit of the time at the beginning here to talk about that. Because I know some of the translations of the Bible do take verse 6, and it says, and has made us a kingdom of priests.

And so there is some confusion when other, sometimes newer translations, talk about God has made us a kingdom of priests instead of the kings and priests that the King James version uses, the New King James, the Young's literal translations, which is one of the original translations from the Greek. So I think this is an indication or an example of where translators get confused on what they believe, and you see some of what they don't understand about the Bible that we do understand about the Bible in the translation. If you look at verse 6 and you go back to Strong's concorns, the interlending of your Bibles, it will give you, for the word it says, kings there in verse 6, and has made us kings. It actually is a word. It's number 3, 5, 4, where is it now? 935, bacilius. And bacilius literally means kings. Every single place in the New Testament where 935 is, in every single other place in the New Testament, it is translated as kings. Only one time is it translated as kingdom by some of the newer translations, and that's in verse 6 here where they replaced kings with kingdom of priests. There is a kingdom, a number 932, that's bacilium, and every single place in the New Testament where 932 shows up, it is translated as kingdom. So the literal translation of the original Greek is that it has made us kings and priests to his God and Father. So that is the literal translation. When you know the New Testament, and when you understand what Jesus Christ did and what he is coming to do in the Second Coming, that makes perfect sense. It also makes perfect sense, which is back there in Exodus 19 verse 14 where God said he made the nation of Israel a kingdom of priests. That's where translators go back, and they look at that, and they say, oh, well, what he must have meant here is make them a kingdom of priests here in the New Testament, the same as he was going to make physical Israel. The physical Israel was physical Israel, and he wanted them to be a kingdom of priests. If you remember, in Old Testament times, there were kings that handled the civil government and priests who handled the spiritual government. So you had Moses who wasn't a king, but Moses was a prophet, and Aaron was the priest. When David was king, there was a high priest that he served under. Throughout all the Old Testament, you have a king who's over the civil government, and you have a priest who was responsible for the spiritual application, the activities of the temple, and doing the things that God wants. So you had a kingdom of priests, and then you had kings. Let me get to you in a minute, Mr. Glasgow. But when you get to the New Testament, you see that Jesus Christ came. He was born, and he became, as far as life when he overcame Satan, we see him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

That one we don't even have to turn to. It's in Revelation. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In Hebrews, he's also called our high priest. He is a king and priest. It's all wrapped up together in one. He is king and high priest. God, as he has called us, has called us to become like Christ. That's kings and priests as he trains us and gets us ready to do the things that he wants us to do. While we're in Revelation 1, turn back to Revelation 5. Revelation 5. We have the same words here that they have in Revelation 1, verse 6, that some of the newer translators and even some of the non-new, like the NIV and the NLT, and those, they talk about a kingdom of priests. But in verse, we pick it up in Revelation 5 and verse 9. Revelation 5 and verse 9, as they're looking, you know, who will open the scroll? Verse 9, they sang a new song saying, you, speaking of Christ, you are worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals, for you are slain and you have redeemed. And here's another mistranslation. It says, us there. That's reflective also of translators who don't understand what God is doing and what the purpose of mankind is. The literal translation of verse 9 is, them and have redeemed them. They're speaking of the first fruits. They're speaking of those who will be resurrected as part of the return of Jesus Christ. You have redeemed them to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made. And again, that us, your Bible, should have a little asterisk by it. The literal translation is them and have made them kings. There's that 935. This time they got it right. And have made them kings and priests to our God, the very same, the very same phrase that's in Revelation 1.5. And have made them kings and priests. The entire, the entire government is under kings and priests who are prepared the way God is preparing you and me to rule under him. And have made them kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. And there's that word, reign on the earth. Priests don't reign. Kings reign. And so if you look at the Greek word that's translated reign there, and it is let me find it here. Oh, number 935. It actually means king comma reign. Kings reign, and we or they, that should be, they shall reign on the earth. They shall reign on the earth. So again, when you have the real from the original manuscripts that's there, you see, we see the difference between the Old Testament and physical Israel and the New Testament spiritual Israel, what God is preparing us to be different than what physical Israel, he wanted them to be a kingdom of priests, those who could live his law, teach his law, be an example to every nation. He wants that of us as well, but also to rule and to reign under Christ. That is back in Revelation 20 as well, though that same word reign. So let's go back there for a second. Revelation 20 and verse 4.

Speaking of the time when Jesus Christ has returned, Satan is cast into the bottomless pit, verse 3. Verse 4 says, and I saw thrones, literally translated thrones. Strong says that word. It's the seat of kings and a seat of kingly power and royalty. I saw thrones, and they, that's those in the first resurrection, they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who hadn't worshiped the beast or his image and hadn't received his mark on their foreheads.

Clearly, that's not speaking of Jesus Christ. Clearly, that's speaking of the people who resist the world, resist the beast's power, live faithfully to God until the end, and don't give into the mark of the beast and the things that are associated with that. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands, and they lived and reigned. There's that word, reigned again, with Christ for a thousand years. So throughout Revelation, you have the same pattern, kings and priests. Kings and priests, kings are there.

Go ahead, Mr. Glasgow, ask some questions, but then I want to go back into the Old Testament for a little bit. Forgive me for being obnoxious. I take copious notes. I missed your reference, and when we were in Revelation 1.6, you had a reference to Exodus.

Exodus 19.14. Let me see if I wrote that down here. Exodus 19.14, I believe. Let me check that.

1419.

Yeah, it's not it's not 1914 or 1419. It's 19 somewhere.

Okay. Anyway, I'll find it. I'll find it, and I'll send that out. I also have a sheet here with all the stuff that I made up that I can send anyone who wants it.

But in the New Testament, again, what God has called us to, without turning there, we can think about some of the things that, you know, some of the parables that Jesus Christ gave us.

Mr. Shaveby? Yes. Oh, hey, you. Look at this. 1906. Is that it? Revelation 9. Made us a kingdom of priests? Yes. That's the one.

Okay, Exodus 19.6.

Thank you. That's a literal translation. That is exactly what God said about ancient Israel. Translators have looked at that and said, oh, that must be what it means, because how could we possibly be kings? Right? I haven't found a commentary outside of the UCG commentary or another Church of God publications that ever talks about the firstfruits becoming kings and reigning under Christ, even though that word reign is clearly under there. But we know that's what God has called us to. You know, back in Exodus, not Exodus, Ezekiel 37, verse 24, it talks as one of the millennial chapters where that starts with the valley of the dry bones, and God resurrects the people. He brings them back to life. And at the end of that chapter, in verse 24, talks about David. David being resurrected, and he says, David, my servant, shall be king over them, and they shall have one shepherd. So David, who will come up at the first resurrection, at the last Trump, he will be a king over all of Israel. In the New Testament, God gave that same promise to the apostles, and that is in Matthew 19.

Matthew 19 and verse 28.

Yeah, Jesus Christ has just given a parable to the rich young man, and he says, the young man goes away, and the one who is not willing to give up everything can enter the kingdom of heaven. The apostles say, well, then who can? Christ answers verse 26, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. With his Holy Spirit they are. In verse 28, well, we'll be in verse 27, Peter answered and said to him, see, we've left all and followed you, therefore what shall we have? So Jesus said to them, assuredly I say to you that in the regeneration, when the Son of man sits on the throne of his glory, that's at the time of his return, when he becomes king of kings and lord of lords, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones. Those are kingly seats indicating royalty. You also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In one of the parables, Christ talks about those who do well. He gives several talents, if you'll remember. I think this is in Luke, yeah, Luke 19, and he talks about, to this one I gave five talents, and they went out and they multiplied those talents, and then ten examples, and he comes back in that parable in Luke and says, well done, good servant, you have authority over ten cities or five cities, and then, you know, the one who did nothing with it, he throws into the lake of fire, he expects growth, he's training us to be able to work with people in the civil way, in the physical as well as the spiritual life. Remember, in the Old Testament, Israel, it was physical adherence to the law, and they weren't able to do that, but it was the physical adherence to the law, and it shows that without God's Holy Spirit, they couldn't even keep the physical part of God's law. In the New Testament, Christ, when he came, talked about it's not enough, not enough to just keep the physical. Yes, you must do that, but there's a spiritual application of the law as well that you worship God in spirit and truth, training us, and with God's Holy Spirit, it's possible with God's Holy Spirit that we learn how to do the physical administration according to God's will and the spiritual application of our lives as well. So, throughout the New Testament, we see royalty and priest, physical as well as priesthood. Let's go to 1 Peter 2.9. 1 Peter 2.9 was brought up last week.

1 Peter 2.9, a verse we all know. You, speaking of those who God calls, who responds, who are chosen, who live his way of life, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. We see the word priesthood, but what's the adjective right before priesthood? Royal. Royal. That's kingly. That's kingly. The word royal is a literal translation. Royal is Strong's 934. It literally means royal, kingly, regal. So, in that verse too, God talks about you're a royal priesthood, not just a priesthood, a royal priesthood, kings and priests, called to be like Jesus Christ who is high priest and who is king of kings. So, I could... let me see what else I've got here. Brother Shabri. Yes, sir. In reference to our Lord, prior to his earthly ministry and when he met with Abraham, he appeared as not just the king of righteousness, as well as the high priest of God Most High. He always had those two offices in one, so he's just sharing that kind of honor with us. Yep. Do you see that in Hebrew 7-1? He's a king and he's a priest. And yes, very good. So, I bet... so when we talk about kings and priests, that is literally what that verse means. And it's the translators and other Christendom, I guess I can call it, that doesn't understand God's plan for mankind. He doesn't understand what the potential of... they don't understand what the potential of man is and what God has in mind for mankind or why we were even created. So that's just an example of not understanding the Bible and them using their beliefs, if you will, innocently because they don't know any better and applying that into a translation. So that's why it's healthy to go back and look and see what the Greek is as well.

I was going to make one other comment here. You know, let's go back to Psalm 78 for a moment.

Psalm 78 talks about, you know, David. You know, a man after God's own heart, David made a lot of mistakes, as we all know, in his life, but he learned from those mistakes and he turned to God. And I think Psalm 78 verse 72 is just a wonderful verse that shows what God is doing with us as well as we go through our lives. In verse 72 it says of David, so he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart. He was a man after God's own heart. He was honest, he was loyal, he did things the way God wanted him to do. He learned that through his life and became more and more the way God wanted him to be. Guided them through the integrity of his heart and guided them through or shepherded them and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. What he learned physically, he did very well. His calling was as a shepherd, he was a really, really good shepherd, and he learned those things. And shepherding indicates in the New Testament, it's often translated as pastor, shepherd. It indicates the love, the concern for others, watching out what's going on with everyone, having them as part of your own family. David had it all. So when God says David is going to be king over Israel, it's because he's developed the qualities that Jesus Christ had. In Luke 2.52, it talks about Jesus Christ as he was growing, that he grew in favor with God and with man. Whatever he did, whatever he did, he did it well physically and spiritually. Are there any other, anything else that we, is that clear that what's there?

When we talk about that, so when we look at Isaiah 61, let me talk about Isaiah 61 too. I looked up the word priest in Isaiah 61 verse 6. We go back there. It says there, You shall be named the priests of the Lord. Remember I said, you know, this is millennial because, and they shall call you the servants of our God. We went to the revelation, and that's how we got on this subject. When you look up the Hebrew for the word that is translated priests in verse 6, it is number 3548, and it's actually one officiating, the one who is officiating, chief ruler. In Genesis 14 8, Savior brought up Melchizedek, and Melchizedek, the same word priest is used for Melchizedek, who we know in the New Testament is King and priest. So even in Isaiah 61 verse 6, it encompasses both. It encompasses the rulership as well as the spiritual application of life.

David? Yes. Yeah. Hey, David. Yeah. Yeah. Good evening. Yeah. How about it says that, although it says, let no man take your crown. I guess that could tie in with it as well. There you go. Yes.

Throughout the New Testament, you see those references to the kingship. Yeah, wherever you see reign, the word R-E-I-G-N, Christ reigns. It's the same word there. Talking about Christ reign, no one questions that. It's the same thing that, of course, under him that we do. He is King of kings, the chief king, if you will. And yeah, where you see crown, throne, those words, those all are indicative of what God has in mind.

Okay. One more question. Yes, ma'am. So just to recap a little bit, we will be like our elder brother Christ, and we will be a king and priest, a royal priest. A royal priest. A royal priest. There's not going to be separations, like some will be kings and some will be priests. We'll both be.

And that I'm not going to say yes, right? I don't know what God has in mind. We are a royal priesthood. But I think we become like him. That's what we're supposed to be growing in, to become like him. And he is king and priest. Yes. He says you will be kings and priests. So I'm going to leave it at that. So as long as we follow what God does and take the opportunities he gives us to grow and become like Christ, that's what he has in mind. Good enough!

Okay. Johann, do you have the question?

Okay. Okay, well then let's... I think we finished in verse 7 last week. So let's go over to verse 8. And again, just to recap here, this is a chapter that is often read in the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus Christ returns to earth, the Second Coming, Beauty for Ashes, Oil of Joy for Morning, Garment of Praise for Spirit of Heaviness, the rebuilding, the spiritual and the rebuilding. Everything is destroyed. God says you will be priests. So the Lord, we've just talked about that.

In verse 7, he says, instead of your shame, you will have double honor. Instead of confusion, they will rejoice in their portion. So we have Christ returning. Israel, who recognizes their sins, Israel, who sells us twice in Ezekiel, loathes themselves for what they have done because they recognize what they've done to themselves.

And they turn back to God with their heart, the remnant that is left there. They recognize who it is. They are God's special people, and they recognize what they've done and repent the way that they have lived their lives. So in verse 8, then, God says, for I, the Lord, or I the Eternal, love justice. I hate robbery for burnt offerings. And what that means, it's kind of like a parallel in Philippians where it says, Jesus Christ didn't consider it robbery to be considered equal. You know, that people offer burnt offerings, and there's iniquity involved in it is what the commentaries say when you look at the words there.

We might have some unholy thing we're offering as a burnt offering. God hates that. He knows exactly where our hearts are when we offer to Him and whatever. He's not looking for the things. He's looking for what's in our hearts. He's not the sacrifices. It's the heart that He's looking for. So He says, I hate robbery for burnt offering because He wants it to come from the heart. He goes, I will direct their work in truth. The same thing that we ask Him to do today.

Direct our work in truth. Show us what you want us to do. Lead us into truth. Guide us into truth. Open our minds to the truth because that's where the joy, that's where the peace, that's where all the great things in life come from. I will direct their work in truth, and I will make with them an everlasting covenant. Not one that will fade away an everlasting covenant. Their descendants will be known among the Gentiles. It's that physical Israel, that God says, I created them. And again, just to remind us that He did through the miraculous births to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of those children through whom this covenant is, and the descendants that come from that, their descendants will be known among the Gentiles.

They will become that royal, or that priesthood, or that example nation that God always wanted them to be. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them will acknowledge them. They are the posterity, that they are the posterity which the Lord has blessed. So they will be kind of like the people.

If you remember last week and other times we've read Zechariah 823, where it says, in that day when they see a Jewish man, they will cling to him. 10 will say, no, you! We want to cling ourselves to you. You know God. We want to learn from you. You are our God's people. You're one of those, in direct contrast to what we see going in the world, on in the world around us today, where the anti-Semitism just continues to escalate, and escalate, and escalate.

So all will know. All will know who they are. All the world will be blessed, right? All the world will be blessed, but Israel will be God's special people, those servants of God that we read about in Revelation 7. So then it says, I will greatly rejoice. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation. You know, this is the spiritual condition of the people. You know, we could turn to Revelation 19, verse 7. Most everyone knows what's in Revelation 19, verses in that area, verses 5 to 7.

It talks about the Bride of Christ. Bride of Christ. And it says, she has made herself ready. She has been given to her fine linen, and she has been made white through the righteous acts that she, her garments are white through the righteous acts that she has done. He has clothed me. It's never our works, right? I mean, we have to make the choices to do it, but it's really, it's God who does the works through us when we yield to him and we allow his Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, and we respond to that Spirit.

When we see an opportunity to do good, we do it. We don't walk on by. We should always be reminded of Jesus Christ said, and it's not mighty when he said it wasn't his words he spoke, he spoke the words that God the Father gave him. He didn't do his works, he did the works that God the Father gave him. And so we live our lives the same way. The words we speak should be the words that God gives us to speak. The works we do, the good works that God looks at, and he's pleased to see us caring for one another and taking those opportunities come because of his Holy Spirit in us. They give us that agape and that agape, the love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, goodness, self-control that are all part of the fruits of his Spirit.

He has clothed me, this God who does it, he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, those things we wear, salvation coming through God, everything and through Jesus Christ under by no other name does salvation come except through Jesus Christ becoming like him. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments.

Ready to be there with Jesus Christ, to reign with him for eternity, to serve him for eternity, to do God's will for eternity, we have become who he wants us to become. And we're clothed with these symbolically clothed in these garments. As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels, the direct parallel there to Revelation 19 that we see when Christ returns and the bride has made herself ready. For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, and we know those things by living on this physical earth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. When Christ is King of kings, when his spirit is on earth, that's exactly what we will see. We will see righteousness, praise to God, all the good things just begin to happen as people yield themselves to God and his spirit. It will just happen just like the garden, the gardens blossom, the earth brings forth its bud. So Isaiah 61 is a very, I mean, if ever you're there's so many things that we could turn to in the Bible, that Isaiah 61 is just a very beautiful chapter full of hope of what is in store when Jesus Christ returns for the first fruits, of course, who will be with him, who will be learning even more about Christ during that time in the new roles that God has us in, but the people who, the physical people who live over into that kingdom, it will be a time that is unparalleled in human history. You know, we read last week about how God will bless in the verse 22 of the prior chapter in 60. You know, again, how he will multiply the same blessing that he gave to Abraham, what he said, you know, from your one seed, from your seed will come a nation, will come nations, as many as the sands of the earth. And God says the same thing of what will happen in the millennium. He will bless. A little one will become a thousand, a small one, a strong nation, and God will be the one who provides that blessing.

So, okay, let's go on to chapter 60-62 then. Chapter 62 is a continuation of 61.

You know, remember that God loves Jerusalem. Before we even go into 62, let's go back to Psalm 87.

Psalm 87 in verse 1 says, "...his foundation is in the holy mountains. The eternal loves the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God." God loves Jerusalem. It is then his chosen city, you know, for just a time that, well, really, even back to the time when you look in the Old Testament, when it was Salem, and then he gave that city to David, it became known as the city of David. That's where the temple was. It is God's favorite place on earth. And we see even after the physical earth is the purpose of it is done, there's the new Jerusalem that comes out of heaven. He even calls what's in heaven today Jerusalem above. Remember Jerusalem above the mother of us all that it says in Hebrews 12. So God loves Jerusalem. That's why it becomes such a lightning rod for all the earth. Satan knows that that's God's city. He knows that God has great things in mind for Jerusalem. And so the world, it has always become a place. And certainly before the return of Jesus Christ, it becomes a place that eventually is surrounded by armies. So that Christ says, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, flee to the mountains, right? Because you know the time is near. It's always Satan will do whatever he can. Psalm 122, he talks about Jerusalem again. The first one says, I was glad when they said to me, let's go to the house of the eternal. Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, united, you know, knitted together is what it means. Where the tribes go up kind of reminds us of Isaiah too. You know, we all read that sometime during the Feast of Tabernacles, not too far in the past. Let us go up to the mountain of Lord. There he will teach us his ways. We will go up to Zion to where the God is. That's where people will want to go to be taught.

This is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the eternal, to the testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. And he says in verse 6, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you.

And again, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem because when that peace comes, that true peace, it means Jesus Christ has returned to earth. Then it will be known as the city of peace, not what it's known for today. And you just see God's talking about Jerusalem and those. And in chapter 62 of Isaiah then, we see Jerusalem being talked about.

So we go back to Isaiah 62 and verse 1. It says, for Zion's sake, I won't hold my peace.

And for Jerusalem's sake, I will not rest, God says. I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and hers as elevation as a lamp that burns. My eyes are on Jerusalem. That is what is going to happen. God says, I won't rest until I see that happen. Jerusalem will become a city of peace. And later on in this chapter, we'll see some of the names that he calls Jerusalem in that day. But it isn't called that today. I won't rest until I see that happen. That is my purpose. Jerusalem will be a lamp that burns, a lamp, an example to the whole world, just like Jesus Christ is the light of the earth. We're supposed to be the light of the earth by the way we live our lives and the examples that we set to people around us that they see the hope of salvation and they see God's Spirit working at us. And he gets the glory for that. Verse 2 says, The Gentiles will see your righteousness. Israel will be living God's way of life. The firstfruits will have been perfected in their living God's way of life. What God says to do, we do. Different than what the world does today, but we do what God does. The Gentiles will see your righteousness. They will be appreciative of that purity and that blamelessness in that day. It'll be the opposite of what today is, where it's like they dishonor you. They dishonor you if you show character. It goes back to chapter 59 and verse 15, where it says, Truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Today, if you espouse righteousness, if you espouse, I live by the way of God, I believe in God, I do things his way, and I'm not going to accept or affirm all these aberrant lifestyles that are out there, you make yourself a prey. But in that day, it'll be just the opposite. The Gentiles, verse 2 of chapter 62, the Gentiles will see your righteousness and all kings your glory. They'll want to be like you. They will want to be that. That's a change that comes from God's Spirit away from the Spirit and Man. We were just talking about Spirit and Man this week with an upcoming Beyond Today magazine article that we're putting together, but they will see. They will want to be like God, not the way the world is going today, but they want to be in the depths of the privacy, and they want to call that evil good and things being the opposite. You shall be called, as we go on in verse 2, you will be called by a new name.

And throughout this chapter, we see these new names that are there. You shall be called by a new name.

You can mark down Revelation 3, 12. It talks about the Philadelphia church at that point in Revelation 3. They are righteous, and God says, I will call you by a new name in verse 12, because you will be named who you are. As we become different people, God says, he'll give us new names. He's talking about that, too. You will be called a new name in that day. You won't be called the same name. Just like Abraham, who became Abraham, was Abram. But as God saw the change in character in Abram, as he followed God, God changed his name to Abraham. Jacob was a person, but as he yielded himself to God and became an overcomer with God, God changed his name to Israel. So God says here in chapter 62, verse 2, you will be called by a new name, because you become someone different than who you were before you had God's Spirit. You've grown up into who he is. You need a new name that reflects the character that you have. You will be called by a new name. Whish the mouth of the Lord will name. He'll give you that name. He gave Abram the name Abraham. He gave Sarai the name Sarah. He gave Jacob the name Israel, which the mouth of the Lord will name. You will be a crown. We've already had that discussion, right? So we know we know who God is talking about here. You will be a crown of glory. There's the kingly things again. You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the eternal and a royal diadem. You know, here's the crown. Here's the stately stuff that you will be adorned with because you have become this through the way you live your life and this physical life as you yield to God, led by His Spirit. You'll be a crown of glory. You'll be a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

It's a beautiful verse. Again, over and over throughout Old Testament and New Testament, God shows what His plan is, what His will is for people, why He created man to begin with.

We just have to overcome Satan with the power of His Holy Spirit and yield to Him that that future, you know, that we could realize that future that He gives us.

Verse 4, you will no longer be turned forsaken. Well, Jerusalem, you know, Jerusalem has endured a painful history for the most part. It will, going forward, endure. And some people might say, God's forgotten us. He's abandoned us. He's turned His back on us. God says, no, no, no, maybe for a little while, Isaiah 54, verse 7, we talked about that. I remember Dale mentioning it last week. For a little while, for a little while you've been forsaken because you turned from me. So God says, I'll turn my back on you. But for a little while, but no longer, Jerusalem, you will no longer be turned forsaken, nor shall your land anymore be turned desolate. You know, Jerusalem today in that whole Middle Eastern area isn't beautiful. I mean, some of Israel has been reclaimed, and it's a beautiful land, but most of it is desert over there. No more shall your land be called desolate, but you will be called Hefseba, which means my delight is in her.

And your land, Bula, which is literally married, also can mean beautiful. So again, it'll change. If Jerusalem will change, and it'll be called by a new name at that time. Hey, Richard, Diane, you got a question or comment? I was just wondering, and verse 2, does the you refer to Jerusalem?

The Gentiles shall see your righteousness for Jerusalem. I'm going to say I'm going to say it's referring to people. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, because they're going to see Jerusalem itself is going to be a place of beauty, but it's the righteousness of the people that they're going to see. That's who they're going to want to be like. I bet he goes on to say that you'll be called by a new name. You'll be a crown of glory and a royal diodes.

Rebecca, did you have something?

Okay.

Rebecca? Okay, well, we're going to go on. Just start talking if you had something that you want to say. We can't hear you right now, so.

Okay, so we were in verse 4.

You won't any longer be called forsaken or forgotten of God or abandoned by God.

You will no longer be called desolate. Now he is talking about the land in Jerusalem, but you will be called by delight is in her and your land, Bula or Mary. For the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married. So you got people dwelling in a land that God loves, and your land shall be married. It's an interesting, interesting thing here. For as a young man, Mary's a virgin.

So shall your sons marry you.

So if you remember from last week, when we see this word, sons, in these series of chapters here, it is Hebrew number 1121 in Strong's, and it's more appropriately called builders here. Sons being the builders of a family. And so remember, they will rebuild the waste places. They will rebuild the ruins. So your sons or the ones who are building you, they'll marry you.

The earth and people are going to be living in concert. When we see, if we remember the Garden of Eden, God created Garden of Eden, all the animals, everything. That was just absolutely, when he looked at it, he said everything he created was good, and then he put man in it. That was that environment. Mankind was given the environment, the earth, to dress and keep it, to have dominion over it. Sort of a marriage between the two, the physical man in the physical earth. And so there will be this union, if you will, of people living and treating the earth the way that God said, living by the laws of agriculture that we read about in the Old Testament. You know, that those of us who are farmers, also, I can't say us as farmers, those of us who may be online here as farmers, have lived those things and seen the benefits of doing God's way of life. They will be joined together. There will be that union of the physical earth and everything living in unison, just like it was in the Garden of Eden. God, man, and earth living in harmony. So if so, your sons or your builders marry you. And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so will God rejoice over you. He will be. It will be one happy. It will be one big family. Everyone working in unison, everyone doing and fulfilling the role that God has in mind. God doing his thing. Jesus Christ doing his thing. The bride of Christ doing the things that God called them to. Others doing everything and happy and content in the role that God has given them because he has called us all with different talents and things, but they all work together to make the perfect whole. And every one of us have that. And so when we let God do with us what he wants us to do, the joy comes and all the body, with every joint supplying what God has given us, as it says in Ephesians 4, 16, it just becomes a beautiful picture and beautiful harmony. That's what the goal of God is. And that's what our goal as those of us who are in the church today need to become one with him and each other as God wants. That beautiful unity that will provide the zeal and the desire to please God, you know, that we all have. So verse 6. Verse 6, I've set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. But the commentaries, I think our even our UCG commentary says, they watch for the peace. They watch for the peace of Jerusalem, right? I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make, they'll never hold their peace day or night. I've set watchmen. You will be protected, security that God is going to give. They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord don't keep silent and give him no rest. Give him no rest. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122, verse 6. Give him no rest till he establishes until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Let me read that again. I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the eternal don't keep silent and give him no rest till he establishes until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

There's some meaning in that verse. If we just stop and contemplate what God is saying, pray for that day to come. Thy kingdom come is one thing. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for that day and look forward to that time when Jesus Christ returns. Sometimes when we do that, we think about the things that precede what will happen before Jesus Christ returns to the earth. That can be a little daunting when we think about it. We have to keep our eyes on the vision. God will give us the strength and will give us the agape that we need to love him, trust him, and have that expectation. When we have that perfect agape, whatever fear, whatever misgiving about the future that it is, we know that with God by our side, we can go through everything and we keep our eyes on what he has in store for all of us, just like Jesus Christ did. Remember, he was the forerunner. In Hebrews 6, it calls Jesus Christ the forerunner. He showed that it can be done. God gives us the same spirit that he gave Jesus Christ. As long as we keep our eyes on him, he will see us through whatever it is that is in our path between now and then.

Verse 8, chapter 62, The Lord has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, surely I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies.

So, prior in Isaiah, you remember that God would say things, you know, you'll plant crops, but the stranger will eat them. You'll plant a vineyard, but they're the ones, the enemies will drink of the wine of that vineyard. And that's because Israel, Jerusalem, God's people disregard him. But here he says, that's not going to happen anymore. Surely I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies, and the sons of the foreigners shall not drink your new wine for which you have labored. But those who have gathered it will eat it, and praise the Lord. Those who have brought it together shall drink it in my holy courts.

People will be living God's way. They will know who God is. They will glorify God. They will do the things that please him. They will be living their lives that way. And God says, when you live my way, I will give you, I will give you the fruit of your labors. I won't take it away from you. It's because nations, people turn from God and don't do what he says. When he says those blessings and newer to us, if we do his will, he really means it. And it really does work even in today's world. Yes, there are trials that come. Yes, there are things that come. But we always know God is strengthening us through that. But the blessings are there, and the people that are in that millennial time will see the blessings of God. He commands that all. So what they raise, what they plant, what they sow, they will reap. Works the opposite way as well. If we sow poorly, we reap poorly. So in verse 10, you see this returning Israel. Jesus Christ has returned. Israel has recognized how awful they've been. They loathe themselves. They have that repentant attitude to turn back to God and do whatever he says. So he has a very encouraging verse. Go through. Go through the gates. Prepare the way for the people. Build up. Build up the highway. Minds up Isaiah 35, that highway that's there. Build up. Build up the highway. Take out the stones. Lift up a banner for the peoples. Put that before them. Let them follow you into Jerusalem, into the land that God wants you to inhabit. Be ready. Follow Him. Set that way. Take out all the stumbling blocks. Make a straight course. Write for Jerusalem, just like He would tell us today. Just follow Him. Follow Him and give your heart to them. Indeed, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world, say to the daughter of Zion, Surely your salvation is coming. Behold, His reward is with Him and His work before Him.

So we can see, He's talking about these things. And so now it's like, it is coming. It is real, Jerusalem. It is real, people of God. Rejoice in that and be glad in it. His reward is with Him and His work before Him, and they shall call them the holy people. No longer, whatever they call the Jews and whatever, but they shall call them the holy people. But the holy people on that day will really be worshiping God. They will know Jesus Christ. They will be keeping His law and living His way of life the way that God intended, the way that Jesus Christ was when He was on earth. That He introduced, if you will, to the Jews back then who thought they were doing everything right, but they weren't doing it with their heart. Jesus Christ showed them how to live as the New Testament church. They shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.

No longer the names they call them. And you shall be called sought out. People will look for you. It won't be what we see now or what we'll see through the return of Jesus Christ. Get rid of the Jews. Exterminate them. Wipe them out as we see that. And we see that, sadly, all over the world. I mean, if you saw some of those pictures from over the weekend with the hundreds of thousands in London who were protesting for Hamas and terror, what we see on our college campuses today, you know, in so many places and so many protests for Palestine, or Hamas, I'm going to say Hamas as opposed to Palestine, and the terror organizations, in that day, they'll be called the redeemed of the Lord. And you will be called sought out. People will look for you then. A city not forsaken. A city not forsaken. Today, maybe God's forgotten Jerusalem when we see going on. But not in that day. God will be that. I'm going to take a few minutes because we won't have a Bible study next Wednesday because here in America we have Thanksgiving next week on Thursday. I know many people will be traveling or have family in, so we won't have a Bible study. But let me continue through just a couple verses here in chapter 63 because it's a natural continuation of what we've just read. We have the triumph that Jesus Christ returning. We have go through the gates, follow Him, set up the banner for the peoples, set that high for Him. And then in 63 it talks about Jesus Christ the Savior again and what He has done, going back to His sacrifice for all mankind when He was on earth. Who is this who comes from Eden? Eden, verse 1. With dyed garments from Basra. This one who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength. I who speak in righteousness may need to say. So this is like, here's someone coming. He's glorious in His apparel. He's got dyed garments. They're kind of stained, right? And then we read about Basra here with dyed garments from Basra.

Now remember that in Isaiah, we'll read things and later on God talks about them again. We read about Basra back in Isaiah 34, and it has a direct correlation to what we have just read. Of course, in 63 here, it is talking about Jesus Christ. It's talking about Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 34, let's look in verse 5 here.

It says, My sword will be bathed in heaven. Indeed, it will come down on Edom.

63, verse 1. Who is this who comes from Edom? For my sword shall be bathed in heaven. It shall come down on Edom and on the people of my curse or judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. It is made overflowing with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams, for the Lord has a sacrifice in Basra and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

So we have this in Isaiah 34. The Lord has a great sacrifice in Basra. We have the little sword of the Lord is filled with blood. We think of Revelation 19 when Jesus Christ returns to earth with his armies behind him with a sword. Just read from Revelation 19 and you see the direct parallel there as well. Verse 11 of Revelation 19, I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen. We talked about that, white and clean, followed him on white horses. So he has a robe dipped in blood. Who is this who comes from Eden? With dyed garments, meaning colored garments. From Basra, where this great sacrifice is, the one who is glorious in his apparel. He reigns victorious, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I speak, I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Christ is the one who speaks in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red? We just read. His robe is red with blood. Why is your apparel red? And your garments like one who treads in the wine press.

Well, you know, I didn't go on. I should have read more in Revelation 19. You can go back, and you can see the parallel here in verses 2 and 3, and 4 and 5. That goes directly to that continuing the verses in Revelation 19. Why is your apparel red? And your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? I have trodden the wine press alone. Only Christ could do it. He's the only one who could do it. And from the peoples, no one was with me. For I have trodden them in my anger, the armies that are gathered there at Armageddon to face him. For I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments. And I have stained all my robes. Clearly, talking about what it speaks of in Revelation 19 at the time of Christ's returns. For the day, verse 4 of vengeance, is in my heart. Peace of trumpets, the day of God's wrath, the day of the Lord, the time of his vengeance, that time yet ahead of us when Jesus Christ returns and the trumpets that blow in Revelation. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, with the seven bowls of the seventh trumpet, the day of my vengeance, the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come. It is time for those who I redeem from the earth, the firstfruits, it's time for them to be redeemed, it's time for them to come to life and become the people, be resurrected to become the kings and priests that I call them to be and that they live their lives following me to become. The year of my redeemed has come. Verse 5, I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered there was no one on earth that was qualified to do this. No one except Jesus Christ. Revelation, we already read about the scroll. Who's worthy? Well, none of us are worthy. Only Jesus Christ is worthy. Only Him. Of all the humans who have ever been born, only Him is qualified to be Savior. Only He could come down and redeem or reconcile God to man. Only He could offer the sacrifice that would make the future possible for mankind, the future that God had intended when He first created mankind. It's all about Christ. Only He could do it. That's why heaven and earth glorify Him and praise Him and say, it's you, you're worthy, you're worthy. That's why God said when He finishes the job that He does, that He goes, all praise and honor, all salvation comes through Jesus Christ. Give Him the praise, and God gives Him the authority. I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold. Therefore, my own arm, Jesus Christ came to earth as God. He did it. Brought salvation for me, and my own fury, it sustained me. You know, sometimes we could get so mad about some things or whatever, and the adrenaline just flows, right? It just flows, and we're amazed at the things that we can do. My own fury, He is so angry with the nations of the world, so angry that they have allowed Satan to make them into the—I'll use the word deplorable, even though it's used—the deplorable people that they are at the end time, that He takes His vengeance out on them at that time. My fury, it sustained me. I have trodden down the peoples in my anger, made them drunk in my fury, and brought down their strength to the earth. He humbled them. He afflicted them. And when Christ stands before them, they're afflicted, humble people that look to God. Let me finish just with the first part of verse 7, because that's a furious time, as we've talked about and as we've gone through the Holy Days we've read about.

Verse 7 says, I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Eternal, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses. So, all these things happen, but ultimately God is merciful, kind, loving. What He wants for mankind is just to have the peace, the joy, the harmony, etc., etc., that we have.

We just have to get to that point. So, let's stop there. Let's stop there, and in two weeks, in two weeks, we will begin there in chapter 63, and we'll probably begin with verse 7 there.

Okay, anything anyone wants to talk about? Any comments, questions?

In verse 1 of 63, we talked about Edom. You think that is referring to the prophet Obadiah, where when the second exorcist takes place and they come through there, they kill all the males?

I mean, it could well be. The prophecy of Obadiah is pretty clear, isn't it? That Edom, yeah. What happens with Edom?

Right now, Turkey is threatening to attack the nation of Israel. Oh, are they? Okay. Well, you know, Turkey, they were the Ottoman Empire, just like they say Putin has designs on a resurrection of the USSR, and you know, President Xi in China has the idea of world dominion. Turkey has the idea of the resurrection of the Ottoman Empire, which is kind of like the king of the south. So, we have all these things happening at the same time. So, hey, Betsy. Hi, thank you so much. As you were reviewing in 62 verses 8 and 9, I could be wrong, but to me it struck me that it's almost a dual prophecy where it's talking about, never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies. And you think of the Israelite countries and us, we have fed the world who have now become our enemies, but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord. So, the workers and the laborers that are the farmers in our country that have toiled so hard, they will benefit from it. Right now, they're not because their, you know, their product isn't sold for the price that they put into it. I don't know, it just looks like a dual prophecy at this moment. It probably is. These things run through, right, among nations and the things that happened. But that verse is clear, talking about the time, you know, as we see more and more of that, yeah, what people raise, they will be able to, what they sow, they will reap and not someone else have the benefit of it. So.

Okay. Okay. Well, very good. It's good to be with all of you tonight.

Have a very good, uh, the rest of the week, a very good Sabbath. And in America, a very good Thanksgiving Day. We'll, we'll see you, we'll see you two weeks, two weeks from tonight. So, um, okay. Nothing else. Let me just say, everyone.

Thank you very much.

Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Okay. Bye. Bye.