Book of Isaiah Bible Study - Part 22

Okay, we are going to start in Isaiah 30. So please turn to Isaiah 30 and verse 1.

Woe to the rebellious children. This is the sixth woe. There are, I believe, it's five woes that are mentioned in the fifth chapter of Isaiah. And you can read those sometime. Woe to the rebellious children. Seth the Yawe, that take counsel but not of me, and the cover with a covering. Now, that cover with a covering actually means that they sought out to be covered by Egypt, and they made a covenant with Egypt, and really it was really a covenant of death. And then it says, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Let's talk about Egypt to begin with. Egypt, ironically, has a lot to say, God has a lot to say about Egypt, and Egypt plays a great role in Israel's history.

You remember that when the famine came on, Joseph had been sold into slavery, and eventually Jacob and his family moved down into Egypt. Eventually, they were enslaved in Egypt, and Moses led them out. So Egypt, on the one hand, is paradoxical in that, on the one hand, Israel was saved there and became really a nation. Then, on the other hand, they went into slavery. And then later on, when Jesus was born, Jesus fled down into Egypt, because an angel had revealed to Joseph that they should go down into Egypt until Herod's decree of killing all those that were two years old and younger.

And so they went into Egypt, and then were called back out of Egypt. And now, even in the millennium, as you know, it says in Isaiah that in Isaiah 19 and verse 23, that Egypt and Syria will be the third part, the second third part with Israel in the millennium. So paradoxically, even though Egypt is a place where many evil spirits, superstitions, and all kinds of evil things have been transmitted through the years, yet God has apparently a special place in his heart for Egypt, but not at this particular time, because there's no way that Egypt could save Israel from the Assyrians, only God could do that.

So another thing that we see about this, that God had to protect Israel up to a certain point, and then after the division of the kingdom, he was determined that he would protect Judah because of the prophecy in Isaiah, not in Isaiah, but in Genesis 49 and verse 10. If you would, turn to Isaiah 49, not Isaiah, Genesis 49 and verse 10. In Genesis 49 and verse 10, what we shall see there is, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver between his feet until Shiloh, and Shiloh means peace or calmness, till Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

And of course, that Shiloh represents Jesus Christ, he is the Prince of Peace. And Hebrews 7.14 says it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah. So God has used Egypt off and on to keep his promises that he made going dating all the way back into the book of Genesis. Ironically, the good King Josiah was killed by the armies of Egypt in 2 Chronicles 35 verses 20 through 16. We're not going to turn there, but you remember that Josiah, he restored true worship in Judah after the death of his brother.

Well, actually, his brother was assassinated, Ammon. Ammon came on the scene after Manasseh, and of course, Manasseh was perhaps the most evil king that Judah ever had. So we had Hezekiah, then we had Manasseh, then we had Ammon, then we had Josiah. And Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Niko. And you can read about that in 2 Chronicles 35 verses 20 through 26. So as we've already mentioned, ironically, Egypt will be a big part of the big three Israel and Syria and Egypt during the millennium. That's the reference there, as I say in verse 23.

Let's focus also on the two words there says, but not of mine, the three words, not of my spirit, not of my spirit. One of the things that the false religions of the day teach, no matter if it's scholars, commentators, ministers, they make these assumptions to begin with.

They assume that God is a Trinity. They assume that the Holy Spirit is a person. They assume that you have an immortal soul. And it's very important that we keep in mind that there is one Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 4, it clearly says that there is one Spirit. There is one baptism into the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 30 says that by one Spirit are we all baptized into one's body. We're not turning to these scriptures. That takes a lot of time. I hope you write the scriptures down and you note what we're saying. And you note what we're saying. This is very important to understand God and His Spirit. See, God is Spirit. Christ is Spirit. There is one Spirit. The same Spirit that is in God is in Christ is in us. Can God be separated from His Spirit? Why no. If the Holy Spirit was a person, the Holy Spirit then would be the Father of Jesus Christ because it says in Luke 1.35 that the Holy Spirit will come upon you. Gabriel talking to Mary, and Gabriel says the Holy Spirit will come upon you and that which is conceived of you will be the Holy Thing or the Holy One will be the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

God's Spirit is how He does His works. In Zechariah, it says in Zechariah 4 and verse 6, it says, not by might nor by power, but through my Spirit says the eternal host. So God does His works through His Spirit. He sends forth His Spirit. The Spirit is under His control.

Once again, virtually every scholar, commentator, minister, in nominal Christianity, and in Catholicism especially, will assume that God is a trinity, that man has an immortal soul, and that the Holy Spirit is a person. God is a trinity. So we can see very clearly that the Holy Spirit is the essence of God, and by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body.

These things about the Holy Spirit are really important. So God said that you have sought out Egypt, but that is not of my Spirit. So they were not being led by the Holy Spirit. They were being led by their own volition, seeking the help of physical beings. Now let's go to verse 2. Isaiah 30 verse 2, that walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked yet my mouth.

So metaphorically, they went down into Egypt to seek shade, to seek safety. Shade is metaphorically representative of safety, and it says that they go down into Egypt, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt.

Of course, a shadow is really a shade. The sun, it could be a person, it could be a tree, it could be any number of things that cast the shadow. So the shadow is representative of being out of the heat, of out of the way. And so they thought that they would be safe by seeking the aid of the Egyptians.

Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. Because you trusted man and not in God, you'll become confused, and that will be your downfall, interesting in man.

Now in verse 4, in Isaiah 30, in verse 4, For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Haines.

The Jews had employed persons of the highest respectability and honor, even princes, to secure the alliance with Egypt. And they had gone to Egypt with much difficulty through a land where lions and vipers and fire serpents abounded. They had passed through many hazardous passes to go down into Egypt. The princes and his ambassadors came to Haines. They were ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be in hell, nor profit, but ashamed and also a reproach. Now they, of course, felt reproach, or put down by the Egyptians, because the Egyptians couldn't really help them. Both the Egyptians talked a good game that they could help, but really when it came down to it, they were not of any help. Only God could spare them. And we talked about last time how that the 180-something thousand Assyrian soldiers were killed when Sennacherib surrounded Jerusalem and was threatening them.

In Isaiah 30 and verse 6, the burden of the beast of the south into the land of trouble.

Now the word south there is really nagab, and of course you've heard of the nagab desert, and the ambassadors that went down to Zoan and Hain, since we've already mentioned, had to go through a lot of dangerous places in their pursuit of help from the Egyptians.

And verse 5 here is worded awkwardly. They went down there thinking that they would get help, and when they got there, they realized that the Egyptians really couldn't help them, and they became a reproach to the Egyptians, because the Egyptians viewed themselves as superior to the Jews who came down there. The burdens of the beast of the south into the land of trouble and anguish from whence come the young old lion, the viper, the fire serpent, and they will carry their riches upon the shoulders, young donkeys, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels to a people that shall not profit them. So these ambassadors were laden with many gifts to try to persuade the Egyptians to help them, but instead of receiving help, they became a reproach to the Egyptians. Egypt was a land of contradiction. On the one hand, they were prosperous, but on the other hand, they were dangerous in that they were filled with evil spirits, with superstition, and at the same time, maybe Judah had in the back of their mind the Judahites, the Jews that went down there, my people were, our people were one time in slavery in Egypt. It is a strange alliance to seek to begin with. Now we come to verse 7. For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore have I cried concerning this, their strength is to sit still. Now, this also is a confusing verse because of this word strength. The word strength here is not the usual word that is used for strength. It is the word Rahab, like the harlot Rahab, R-A-H-A-B.

It was the name that indicates ferocity, hottyness, boasting, insolence, and the name was doubtlessly given to Egypt on account of its insolence and pride. So the usual word for strength is not used here. So concerning this, the hottyness of Egypt is to sit still. In other words, even though the Jews sought help from the Egyptians, the Egyptians decided not to do anything. So they just refused to help in the ultimate sense.

And it says, for the Egyptians shall help in vain to no purpose. Therefore have I cried concerning this. They're boasting. And that's what this word Rahab means. Their hottyness, their boasting, their insolence was given to them. The Prophet used this because of their pride and insolence. And yet they sat still, would be inefficient, would do nothing. And the whole name therefore may be rendered. I call her the blusterer that sits still. That is, they are courageous in talking, but they are cowards in acting. So that is the essence of that verse, that even though the Egyptians talked a good game and boasted, when it really came down to it, they sat on their laurels and never did anything. So that once again, that word strength is Rahab, R-A-H-A-B. It is not the usual word for like God's strength.

Now, verse 8, now go write it before them in a table and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever. Notice that, that it is for the time to come. It is for a latter time. So Isaiah said, what I'm about to tell you must be written down for it will be the way that you will go despite all of God's efforts to warn you to go in a different direction to repent. And I know of no other time in human history in which this was more true than it is now in this age. That is verse 9. So write down what is in verse 9 in a book, for it is for a time to come. But this is a rebellious people, lying children that will not hear the law of the Lord.

In the case of children here, it doesn't just mean those from that are young. It means a son, a builder, a family name. In the widest sense, it is figuratively a relationship, including grandson, nation, quality, condition. So it's really for everybody, lying people, a whole nation that will not hear the law of the Lord.

So here we are in 2023. Here we are some 2700 years from when Isaiah wrote this. And what we see now? We see this coming to pass just as he said at that time. Of course, it was true, and it's been true of Israel to some degree from the time they left Egypt up to the present time, that even though God blessed them, delivered them, and made sure that his prophecies came true, time after time after time, they rebelled. Verse 9, that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children. And once again, this word for children here has to do with really the whole, all the peoples in the nation that will not hear the law of the Lord, which say to the seers, see not unto the prophets, prophesy not unto us, prophesy not unto us, write things, speak unto us, spoon things, prophesy deceit. Now I have had in the past, I haven't had it in several years, but I have had in the past people saying, well, why do you decry the sins of people so much? Why do you say this? Or why do you say that? That's what God says to do. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their sins. Isaiah 58, verse 1, or maybe it's 59, verse 1, one or the other. And they are saying in verse 11, get you out of the way, turn aside, out of the path, call the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. So we have turned to a secular society. A recent poll has showed that church membership in the United States has now dropped below 50 percent. And a large percentage of those who might say I'm a member of such and such church don't really attend. The church is now, if you really go to the... And sometimes I drive into Longview on Sunday morning, and I pass several churches. And the parking lots, for the most part, are empty, yet you go to Home Depot, Sam's, Walmart, and places like that. The parking lots are full.

Therefore, that says the Holy One of Israel. This phrase here, the Holy One of Israel, the one who interfaced with Israel, was the one who became Jesus Christ. This word, Holy One, is used 25 times in the book of Isaiah, wherefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, because you despise this word and trust and oppression and perverseness and stay there upon, therefore, this iniquity, this lawlessness, shall be to you as a breach ready to fall. It's like a wall that is propped up and a little wind comes along and suddenly it breaks forth.

I can't help but be reminded of, you know, a swelling breach like this earthquake that just hit in Turkey and parts of the northern part of Syria. Over 12,000 people dead and counting, and how many injured, how many homeless, a tragedy beyond tragedies, and you go to bed thinking you'll wake up the next morning and everything will be the same, but, you know, a lot of cases when you wake up the next day, things are not the same. They're drastically different, and that people all around the world are experiencing that kind of thing, and it's wonderful that God has blessed and protected his people to the extent that he has in this day and age. Now verse 14, and he shall break it as the breaking of the potter's vessel that is broken in pieces. The potter's vessel, of course, they would heat the pottery, and usually it was made out of clay and then heated to several hundred degrees, and then when you smash it, it cannot be put together, and he shall not spare, so there shall not be found in the bursting of it assured to take fire from the hearth. You can't find a piece of it where you could dip up a coal out of the hearth of the fire or to take water with all out of the pit. So the shattering will be so drastic, and once again, I think of that earthquake. You know, and it says in Matthew 24 that earthquakes in different places, kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation, war, rumors of war, earthquakes in different places, and here we see upset weather and all kinds of natural disasters that are plaguing the sons of men in addition to their not forgetting God and not being able to get along with one another, that we have all of these other things to contend with at this time. And once again, I point to the fact that how blessed we are in that we live in the land that we live in, and we know what we know with regard to the plan and purpose of God, and that He has called us out of this world to be lights, to be beacons on a hill. The Holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall you be saved. So in this case, this is the rest, the patience. It says in Luke 21, I believe it's verse 36, that in your patience possess you your souls. So we are in a time of great trial and tribulation, but once again, we are still being pretty much protected from that which is happening in the world. Though our children are becoming targets, and hopefully we will not be tempted to compromise in any way with the truth of God and the precious truths that He has revealed to us.

You know, it says in Matthew 24, along about verse 10, 11, 12, along in there that says, because iniquity shall abound, lawless and shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. And people see everybody else doing whatever they're doing, and they'll go along with the crowd, and peer pressure, and the pressure that is upon people, even in places of leadership in this nation, whether it be in journalism, politics, education. If one dares to speak out about what is happening in the land, they oftentimes are fired, or they become blacklisted, and all kinds of things that happen to them. In some cases, their lives are threatened. They have to move from one house to another, or from one town to another. But it says here, returning and rest shall you be saved, and quietness and confidence shall be your strength. And this word here is a different word. This is gem'u'ra, and it means, it's used 61 times. It has to do with force, literally or figuratively. By implication, valor, victory, force, mastery, mighty, might, act of power, strength. If you had weight, and quietness, and confidence, and the word confidence can be equated with weight and trust, weight in faith, weight and confidence, knowing that knowing that you know that God will deliver shall be your strength, and you would not. They decided to take things into their own hands and go down into Egypt to seek the aid of mere fleshly men. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five shall you flee, till you be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an inside on a hill. So you'll be so afraid and so terrified that you'll continue to flee from almost, you'll be afraid of your shadow. You know, when God really begins to intervene, it says the rich men of the earth will hide in the dens and in the caves and in the rocks.

And finally, they take refuge in a hill. Those who understand and serve will become beacons and will wait for their deliverance.

God is gracious, and he will be exalted, for he is God, love. He is a God of love, mercy, judgment, and blessed are those who wait on him. And as we've already mentioned, it's Luke 21 verse 19, In your patience possess you your souls. This verse also is somewhat confusing the way it is worded, but it has to do with the people fleeing from enemies that they don't have to flee to and fight and finally they are they're fleeing to the point that they serve as a beacon.

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five shall you flee till you be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain and as an inside, a side on a hill. So the faithful are going to dwell in Zion as we'll see in verse 18 and 19 as verse 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you for the eternal L'Yave is God. He is a God of judgment, blessed are all though that wait on him. So once again I'm reminded of what Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6 about you wrestle a lot against flesh and blood but wicked spirits in high places and that you take unto yourself the whole armor of God and it says there in Ephesians 6, it's I think it's 15 or 16, Ephesians 6 15 or 16. Above all, above everything that you do, take the shield of faith whereby you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of Satan.

How will you be able to quench all the fiery darts of Satan? Because what Satan wants you to do is to believe that God is unjust, God is unfair, God is not going to answer, God will not deliver. Why am I in the predicament? Why am I having to go through this? And on and on human reasoning might go. You can read the book of Job, what all Job went through and he is finally coming to himself to realize that God must be justified and man must be judged. But if you take the shield of faith whereby you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of Satan, how so? Because if you have the shield of faith, you know and you know that you know that no matter what happens, God will deliver you. Blessed are all those that wait on him. Now verse 19. And we come now to the Millennial, to a Millennial setting, where the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, and you shall weep no more. There will be no pain, no sorrow.

He will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry. When he shall hear it, he will answer you. And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity, and of course, we will be tested. We will be tried. You will be tested and tried, perhaps to the point of death. Many people are, some aren't. Christ was tempted and tried. He learned obedience through the things which he suffered. That is, at any point, he said, I could call for legions of angels to come and rescue me. But to do that, he would not perfectly obey the plan and purpose for which he came to earth. So he learned obedience through which he suffered. We learned obedience through which we go through. And we come to the point that our mind and heart are so stayed on God, his plan, his purpose for us.

That regardless of the situation or the circumstance, we know if we do our part, and our part is that we have to remain faithful to the will and purpose of God that he has for our lives, that we too will be delivered. Though he gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not your teachers be removed into a corner anymore. But your eyes shall see your teachers. Your eyes shall see your teachers. That's one of the main things that we are going to be doing in the millennium. We're going to be kings and priests. We are going to be teachers. We're going to help those come into the knowledge of God and Christ and the plan and purpose of God for every person on the face of the earth that is alive or ever has lived or ever will live. Let's notice Isaiah 61. Let's read these first six verses here of Isaiah 61.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captives. See, this is why Jesus Christ quoted after he went back to the synagogue there in Nazareth after he had been baptized by John the Baptist and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And at that point, when he read to this point, he stopped and he sat down because the rest of this is yet ahead.

And the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all the more. So God is going to bring vengeance upon all of those who have perpetrated the affliction upon God's people, and there will be great affliction. It has been great affliction upon the people of God. Actually, we have had it so easy. We have probably had it easier than any people in the history of the Church of God. We are without excuse. We're without excuse in almost any area you want to name. We have food, clothing, shelter, transportation. We are able to attend Sabbath services. We're able to go to the feasts. We're able to have Bible studies. And though we be hundreds of miles apart, we can still be together in mind and spirit and study the Word of God. There have never been a time in human history in which the people of God are so blessed as they are right now. And I don't think we really realize it. We don't even recognize how blessed we are. It is time that we really understand, and it is time that we dig and we dig deeply. Verse 3, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. And I'm reminded of the song that Mary Beth Phelton has composed and has sung here for special music, Beauty for Ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified, and they shall build the old waste, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the aliens shall be your plowmen, and your vine dressers. But you shall be named the priests of the Lord. Men shall call you the ministers of our God. You shall eat the riches of the nations, and their glory shall you boast yourselves. For your shame you shall have doubled. And so on it goes for those who remain faithful, who weigh upon God. So at that time, the teachers will not be removed into a corner. That will be one of our main jobs. And for the peoples that sit in our classes, if we want to use that terminology, for the people that we teach, there won't be any excuses that will be acceptable for them not doing what they need to do.

And as I have said, I used to say this way back when I first started teaching 60 years ago, that at that time, everyone may not live church, but everyone is going to play church. You are going to go along with whatever the program is. Sadly, after the millennium, when Satan is released, he will go out and deceive the nations, and a lot of people will be deceived. How is that possible? It is really hard to fathom how that is possible, but that's what the scriptures say in Revelation 20. Now verse 21, And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way you walk you in it.

I don't have any privacy. I've got to do that, which is right. Oh, mercy. Woe is mean. How will I build character? It's what some of the students would say at Ambassador. We have all these rules. We have to abide by. We don't really have freedom of choice. We've got to obey these rules. You see, the Ten Commandments are not commandments of choice. They are commandments. They are to live by. And God is going to require that we live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. What a time that is going to be. So a voice behind you, when you turn to the right, or when you turn, this is the way walk you in it when you turn to the right hand. And when you turn to the left, you shall defile also the covering of your graven images of silver. Everything that you have that anyone has stored that they wanted as a keepsake to remind them of the old way, there will be no idols. It will be as in the time of Hezekiah and Josiah when they went through the land and they destroyed all the high places and all the idols and took all the idols out of the temple. Oh yes, there were idols in the temple of God. Manasseh had placed idols in the temple of God.

And when that happens, verse 23, then shall He give the rain of your land instead of seed there.

It could be seed, but more properly, land, the rain of your land that you shall sow the ground, wherewithal and bread of the increase of the earth. And it shall be fat and plenteous in that day shall your cattle feed in large pastures.

Cattle and cattle won't have to worry about any predator animals because the nature of animals are going to be changed so that there are no predatory animals or reptiles or snakes or whatever that prey on innocent animals or people. The oxen likewise, the young donkeys that hear the ground, that word ear is an old English word that I think it's English that means that plow the ground. That plow the ground shall eat clean for hinder, that is fodder. That's what Daddy called it. That is, if you have corn stalks, you have the leaves of the stalk. The stalk itself is not edible, but the leaves are edible, which have been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall. The towers of the enemy are going to fall, the strong placeness. You know, you read about in Daniel chapter 11 about the willful king, what he does, that this one who sets himself up as God, he will not honor the God of his fathers, but he will honor the God of fortifications. You can read that clearly in Daniel 11 beginning in along about verse 36 and on forward. Behold, the name of the Lord comes from far, burning with his anger. So God in Christ comes, and the burden thereof is heavy. His lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire.

Oh, he came meek, lowly, humble, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey when he was proclaimed king at that time. He's coming back on a great white horse with the great armies of heaven with him, angels and the saints. And the great battle, the great day of God Almighty will be fought in the area of Armageddon. Of course, God is going to be victorious. It will be a devouring fire. It will be the voice of God that destroys. Let's look at Revelation 19. If you would, turn to Revelation 19.

Revelation 19 is a wonderful chapter depicting the return of Christ. Revelation 19. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it shall he smite the nations. See this sharp sword? What is the sharp sword? The sharp sword is the Word of God. It is the Word of God that destroys the people. The flesh melt off their bones. And he shall rule, and he shall smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fiercest 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 heavens in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together into the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, 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. The flesh is literally going to fall off their bodies with skeletons left.

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together, and this is Armageddon, to make war against them. Armageddon described in Revelation 16, together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. The beast and the false prophet were taken and thrown into the pit. So God is coming with a devouring fire. Verse 28, And his breath as an overflowing stream shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sleeve of vanity, with the sieve of vanity. The nations are as grasshoppers in the sight of God. God is going to plead with all flesh. In Jeremiah 25 verse 31, Jeremiah 25 verse 31, it says that God is going to plead with all flesh. We're not going to go into this right now, but you read Revelation 14 carefully. You will see the three angels' messages. The three angels go out. They preach. The first one preached the everlasting gospel of God. And the last one, the third one, he says, if any person takes up the mark of the beast or his number, they will suffer the wrath of Almighty God.

Yes, God is going to warn the world. If he's going to do it, of course, we have a role to play up until the time the two witnesses are killed. And who knows what after that? That is not our purpose here tonight. But read carefully Revelation 14.

So God is going to sift the nations, and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. God is going, you see, because they love not the truth, God will send them grand delusion that they should believe the lie. That's 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 10. That means that because they didn't believe the truth after they heard the truth over and over again, that God gave them grand delusion. So God sends them delusion that they should believe the lie. What is the lie that that one sitting in the temple that proclaims that he is a true God is a liar. That is the great liar. He is a lie. Verse 29, you shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept.

And this is reminiscent of festival time. At the festival times, they would sing. And a big part of the worship services was singing. And it is commendable for the church. At the present time, we have at least five hymns, and many churches have special music as well to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. You shall have a song in the night, as in the night, when a holy solemnity is kept. In that holy solemnity, there's a time of joy, a time of celebration. Notice, you shall have gladness of heart as when one goes with a pipe in the coming to the mountain of the Lord. You know the song, Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord. You're seeing it usually quite often during the Feast of Tabernacles. Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty one of Israel. And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard.

His glorious voice, that glorious voice, we already turned to Revelation 19, for this glorious voice fights the battle of Armageddon. You don't have to have atomic weapons. You don't have to have the great missiles of the day. You don't have to have nuclear power. You have to have the power of God. And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, shall show the lightning down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with a flame of a devouring fire, with scattering and tympans and hailstones. Of course, hailstones are oftentimes used in conjunction with brimstone. It is a time of judgment, a time of judgment of the wicked. For through the voice of the Eternal shall the Assyria. Now, as James and Positon Brown noted in commentary, what they write about this verse, and many other commentators write, which I'm convinced is very true, is that the Assyrian is a type of all of God's enemies in every age. The Assyrian is a type of the beast. Now, of course, Assyria, the nation, is also a very evil nation, and a type there as well. But the Assyrian is a type of the beast power and the evil nations through the ages. Shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. See, Satan also is in that category. You reread. Isaiah 14, we have read it, where Satan rules in oppression. He comes on as an angel of light, but really he is an oppressor.

And those who follow him are, when all is said and done, they are oppressors.

And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabberets and harps, and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

And so, with tabberets, see, beautiful music is made with tabberets and harps, and in the joy of the solemnity, God is going to reign victorious. And the people are going to sing wonderfully, as in a song in the night, as in the time of your solemn feast days.

For tabbit is ordained of old. Tabbit is a place in the valley of Hinnom. The valley of Hinnom is, in the New Testament, called Gihinah. It is hellfire. The valley of Hinnom is where the Israelites cause their children to pass through the fire, and they burn their children as a sacrifice to the god Molech and other gods. For tabbit is ordained of old. Yes, see, it's ironic that this very place where Israel and Judah kill the innocent, see, God does not take kindly to killing the innocent. This flame, this fire, this tabbit will burn forever. And people misunderstand it, and from that, they oftentimes get the idea that there is an immortal soul that burns forever, because the fire burns forever. You look at the last verse of Isaiah. We're turning, I have turned to the last verse of Isaiah.

The last verse of Isaiah says, For they shall go forth, the people, and look upon the carcasses of the men that are transgress against me, for their worm shall not die. Their worm, the maggots that gather there, there will be maggots where the dead people, the sinners, or cast, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be in ha'poring unto all flesh.

So this fire, this hell fire in the valley of tabbit, once again tabbit is a place in the valley of inim. It is yahannah fire. It is hell fire. It is a fire that burns up the wicked.

It says in Matthew 25 verse 41, that God has, let's turn to Matthew 25, 41. Matthew 25 verse 41. And then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. That fire lasts forever.

Notice this. We can, we'll end here with this verse. For tabbit is ordained of old, yes, for the king it is prepared. He hath made it deep and large. The pile thereof is fire, and much wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, does kindle it. You know how wind does to a fire. It makes the coals fire up. It makes the fire blow a flame up. And God makes sure that this hell fire continues throughout time.