Book of Isaiah Bible Study - Part 3

So greetings. Once again, we are in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 17. If you would turn there to Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 17. Learn to do well. Seek judgment. The word here for judgment could be more accurately translated as justice. Seek justice. It is amazing in the Bible how much emphasis God places on righteous judgment and justice. And of course, you know, in Isaiah 59, there's a prophecy that says that justice and judgment has fallen into the streets. And if anyone who stands up to for the right way is made of prey and may jump on him like dogs, wild dogs on meat. So justice is a thing that is greatly valued by God.

Justice and judgment. Last week we talked about how mercy glories against judgment. You have to judge yourself and admit that you're a sinner and God sees your heart and mind. And if you're willing to repent and come before him with a humble contrite heart, he's just to forgive you of all your unrighteousness and therefore his mercy glories against judgment. But the judgment has to be made first. And as we noted last time, God is long suffering and merciful, but long suffering cannot be confused or should not be confused with judgment. So seek judgment. That first phrase there, learn to do well. Learn to do well doesn't mean just learn how to do something, but it means to practice it. To put it into practice in your life. Be, become that way. And you know, the verse in the Proverbs, it says, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. And so, so much of our lives depend on how we think. You sow a thought and you reap an action, you sow an action, you reap a habit, and you sow a habit and you reap character. So learn to do well, practice doing well, seek justice, relieve the oppressed. Time after time after time, in the Bible, God talks about encouraging us, imploring us to take care of those who are oppressed. Judge the Fatherless. Once again, by judge it means to treat them fairly, to provide justice and plead for the widow. One of the things that God commanded in the Pentateuch in Deuteronomy 2417, this is almost a quote from that I'm reading now, Deuteronomy 2417, you shall not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the Fatherless, nor take widows' raiment, a widow's raiment, to pledge. So that might be the last piece of garment you might have, and God says, don't take any kind of pledge from a widow. Now we come to verse 18, a very critical verse.

Come to now, come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. This thing of reasoning together, this word reason here, means to be right, that is correct, reciprocally, to argue, causatively, to decide, justify, or convict. We're going to focus on convicting as we turn to the New Testament in just a moment. Come now, let us reason together.

Remember it also says in Isaiah 28 with regard to the Scripture, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, you have to put all the Scriptures together in a logical, consistent, true manner. If they speak not according to the law and testimony, it's because there's no truth in them.

That's Isaiah 8, 20. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet. And scarlet is, of course, a red color. It's very interesting to note, which I'm not going to go into, how they were able to be able to make the color red in those days. They shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, remember parallelism and basically all prophecy is written in a parallel form. A one statement is made, and then another statement that reinforces the statement made before. They shall be like crimson. They shall be as wool. So in that sense, wool could symbolize forgiveness because even though the sins are like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Now, we want to focus on this part here that says about, come let us reason together. And we want to take up from the the New Testament with regard to reasoning together. One of the things that the Bible implores us to do, that is to be able to convict the gainsayer. Now, let's get also a scriptural basis for reasoning together out of the New Testament to begin with.

We want to go to Acts 17 and where much of Acts is taken up, of course, with Paul's ministry to the various places in the Mediterranean world in what commentators call missionary journeys, where he raised up and visited churches that he had raised up. We want now in Acts 17. Now, when they had passed through Amphibilis and Aplonia, they came to Thessalonica, which was where it was in synagogue of the Jews, and Paul, as its manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures.

So he reasoned with them. The word reasoned here with them. He put precept upon precept, line upon line, here little, there little, showed them what the prophecies say. Now, look at Acts 18 across the page. Perhaps verse 1, after these things, Paul departed from Athens, came to Corinth, found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them, because he was of the same craft he abode with them. He was a tentmaker and wrought for by them occupation. They were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

How do you persuade? That's one of the questions we have. How do we reason together? How do we persuade the gainsayer? We're going to answer that question. He persuaded the Jews and the Greeks, and when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Of course, there are a lot of prophecies in the book of Isaiah that show that Jesus was the Christ. And when they oppose themselves and blaspheme, notice, oppose themselves. Really, people who reject the Word of God, the Spirit of God, as we shall note, the two convicting agents are the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

Let me say that again. We need to ring it over and over again in our messages and in our hearts and minds so that we know that the two convicting agents are the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

And when they oppose themselves and blaspheme, he shook his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. So how will the gainsayers be convinced? We want to go now to Titus chapter 1 and verse 9. Titus chapter 1 and verse 9.

In Titus chapter 1 and verse 9, Paul addresses how we are to convict the gainsayers. Titus 1.9, holding fast the faithful Word, as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Now the Greek word for convince is elencho. And it means to convict, to reprove, to convince. The three main ways that it's translated in the New Testament are to convince, to convict, or to reprove. Once again, the two convicting agents are the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. So let's note that so that we know from the Bible that the two convicting agents are the Word of God and the Spirit of God. We want to turn to John 16. John 16, and we'll begin in verse 7. So this is in the midst of the night in which Jesus Christ instituted the symbols of the New Covenant Passover and when he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and the mock trial.

During that time, he spoke to them and this is one of the main things that he says. Let's read verse 6. John 16 verse 6, but now I have said these things unto you. Sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you. It's for your good because if I don't do this, you won't have this. It is expedient for you that I go away. If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. Now in John 1426, the Comforter is defined as the Holy Spirit, the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit. That's what it says in John 1426. So we could read this if I go not away, the Holy Spirit will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. It's in the masculine gender, hence him. We usually say it. And when it has come, it will reprove, and that word is a lyncho. It will reprove or convict. It will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. See, how did you become convicted? Now be turning to Romans chapter 10. The two convicting agents are the Word of God and the Spirit of God in Romans 10 and verse 14. You see, why did Jesus Christ raise up the church? He raised up the church, so the church, led by the Holy Spirit and armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, would go forth and preach the gospel to all the world.

Disciple all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you to the end of the age. So in Romans 10.14, what shall I say then? That's wrong verse 10.14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? So God raised up the church and the ministry to preach the Word, and how shall they preach, except they be sent? And so there's a support team behind them. And if it were not for the support team, it would not be possible for the Word to be preached in all the world, as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them to preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report. So then faith comes by hearing. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So if you want to increase your faith, one of the principal ways is through reading and studying the Word of God. If you read and study the Word of God, you will be strengthened by it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Yes, the ministry is implored, commanded. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 4.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom, preach the Word. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. If I go not away, it will not come unto you, but if I go away, I will send it to you, and it will convict the world of sin and judgment and righteousness. Preach the Word, be instant, end season, Adam season, reprove. Here's this word, reprove. Elencho again, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine, with sound doctrine, with logic, putting all the scriptures together. And that leads us to syllogisms.

And the syllogism that I want to focus on tonight, I will present a syllogism in just a moment, but let's talk about reasoning for just a moment. There are two basic kinds of reasoning, and some in constructing a sermon, basically we use deductive reasoning, and syllogisms are based on deductive reasoning. Then the other kind of reasoning is inductive reasoning, where you gather the facts and you draw a conclusion. In deductive reasoning, you state a general premise, and then you deduce from that premise. In other words, you reason from the premise.

Perhaps the best known syllogism in the Western world is this one, major premise, all men are mortal. That's the major premise. In deductive reasoning, the major premise and the minor premise, which must be drawn from the major premise, must be true. All men are mortal. There are several scriptures that support this that we must put on immortality at the resurrection. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption.

We have to be changed into glorious radiant spirit beings, incorruptible, immortal. John is a man. Our minor premise is John is a man. Our conclusion is, therefore, John is mortal.

Now, of course, that is a very, very simple syllogism. Once again, I encourage you to, after our exercise here tonight, after this explanation, and also I sent you a handout on it, to really be able to put the scriptures together, precept upon precept, line upon line, here, little, there, little, and come to a beautiful whole. I say it several times that the Bible is like a beautiful tapestry woven together to make a complete whole, a complete picture.

So, I want you to turn now to Exodus 3.15.16. Exodus 3.15.16. This is where God had spoken to Moses about leading Israel out of Egypt, and Moses finally asked God, well, whom shall I say has sent me? And God answers Moses' question in Exodus 3.14. Let's read 13. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, they shall say unto them, the God of our fathers has sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? So, once again, Moses is saying, Who am I going to say has sent me to you?

And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And it means the ever existing one, the one who was, the one who is, the one who is to come. And he said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I am the ever living one, past, present, future. I am has sent me unto you.

So, our major premise will come from the next verse. Actually, it comes from both of these verses, 14 and 15. Now 15. And God said over unto Moses, You shall say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers. Now, who are the fathers? If you'll remember in the dispensations and administrations I sent to you, there was what there's what is called a patriarchal age, where God called out Abraham and gave him the great promise of great blessings that through his seed, which seed is Christ. We talked about in Galatians chapter 3 verses 14 through 17, and then the last three verses of the chapter 24 through 26, I believe it is, that the seed is Christ, and if you be in Christ, then are your Abraham's seed. The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham. So the promises were given to Abraham. Abraham gave him to Isaac and the God of Jacob.

Isaac gave the promises to Jacob. He received the birthright. Has sent me unto you, this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Now notice once again what it says. The Lord, all caps, LORD, any time you see all caps, LORD, that is Yahweh in the Hebrew. Yahweh, capital G, lowercase o-d, Elohim, Yahweh, Elohim of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.

He is the one that sent me unto you. So our major premise is the Lord, Yahweh, the Lord God, Elohim, of your fathers has sent me.

We just read that. Verse 15. The minor premise, Abraham was one of the fathers.

It says it very clearly here, the God of Abraham. Abraham was one of the fathers. Then our conclusion is the God of Abraham raised Jesus from the dead. Acts 5.30. So now you turn to Acts 5.30. In Acts 5.30, it'll say it doesn't call Abraham's name, but what does it say? It says, the God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead. Acts 5 and verse 30. We'll read it again in Acts 5.30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, and hanged on a tree. So once again, with this one, the major premise, the Lord God, Yahweh Elohim, my dear fathers, has sent me.

The minor premise, Abraham was one of the fathers. It says it very clearly, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Conclusion, the God of Abraham raised Jesus from the dead. Acts 5.30. Also look at 1 Peter, chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 18. Verse 18. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish, without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, say Jesus came to reveal the Father, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. Christ came and reconciled us to the Father, as it talks about in Romans chapter 5 and verse 10. So what I encourage you to do is to see if you can make syllogisms from the Bible, strive to make at least three and if you wish to send those to me, you can email me at donnell.ward at hotmail.com and I will look at them and say yea or nay and tell you where in the era might be if it is, if there is an error in it. Now another important thing about this. Now this is so important. In fact, I gave a sermon I guess it's been about two years ago. Now the angel of God's presence was the title of that sermon and so we want to show here how that God's name, Yahweh, is also in the name of Jesus Christ and that's where a lot of the people become confused with regard to the name of Yahweh because it says clearly in Exodus chapter 23. We want to go Exodus 23 and verse 20. What we're talking about here now, you might call it higher theology, but really it is something that has caused a lot of people a lot of grief. In Exodus 23 and verse 20, Moses has gone up to receive the law and has this conversation with the one who became Jesus Christ or the Father speaking in the third person. Exodus 2320, behold I send an angel. Now in my Bible, the A is capitalized uppercase angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him and obey his voice. See nowhere else in the Bible are we commanded to to obey an angel. Provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions. See, no angel has the power to pardon transgressions. Only God and Christ can pardon transgressions. For notice this so important, for my name is in him. My name is in him. What do we just read from Exodus 3 15? The Lord Yahweh Elohim has sent me unto you, and his name is in this angel of his presence. So you have to be very careful with regard to the context to be able to say, oh, this was God the Father, or this was the one who became Christ. So let's continue. My name is in him. Verse 22. But if you shall indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy unto your enemies and an adversary unto your adversaries. For mine angel, my name is in him, he can forgive sin. For mine angel shall go before you and bring you into the into the Amorites, Hittites, Parasytes, Canyonsites, Hivites, Jebusites, and will cut them off.

You shall not bow down to other gods or serve them nor do after their works, but you shall utterly overthrow them and quite break down their images. Now we have another verse to confirm. We have other verses to confirm what we have just said. Now we want to go to Isaiah 63 and verse 9. Isaiah 63 and verse 9. In Isaiah 63 verse 9, we will see once again this angel of God's presence, the one who led them into the promised land. Isaiah 63 verse 9. In all their affliction, he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity. He redeemed them, and he bared them and carried them all the days of old, the angel of God's presence. This one we read about in Exodus 23 verses 23-23. But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit. Therefore, he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

Now we go to the New Testament, and we have further confirmation of who this was in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 1.

2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 1. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 1. 2 Corinthians 10.

That rock was Christ. So we see clearly Jesus, the angel of God's presence, the one in whom God's name was, he came to earth to reveal the Father and to reconcile us to the Father. You see, if you were not able to put these scriptures together, you may flounder around for ages as some people continue to do with regard to this.

Now we want to go to Luke chapter 1 and verse 19. We'll see once again.

Luke 1, when the angel came to tell Mary that she was going to be the mother of the one who would be given the sure mercies of David.

In Luke chapter 1 and verse 19.

And the angel answered and said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. So Jesus Christ came to the earth and he was given the sure mercies of David, that he would always be, and that in the final conclusion of things, that Jesus Christ would rule and reign forever and ever. And now with regard to this, let's go to Luke chapter 10, one of the main reasons why Jesus Christ came to the earth.

In Luke chapter 10 and verse 22.

All these things are delivered to me of my father, and no man knows who the son is but the father, and who is the father, who the father is but the son, and he to whom the son will reveal him.

So one of the main reasons why God sent Jesus Christ to the earth was to reveal the father. You remember in Luke 14, if we turn forward just a few more pages, in Luke 14, we see that the apostles here were wanting to know about the father.

In John 14 verse 6, I think this is very important as well, in John 14 verse 6, Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the father but by me.

Now that was in response to what Thomas had asked in verse 5. Thomas said unto him, Lord, we know not where you go, and how can we know the way?

And then, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the father but by me. If you had known me, you should have known my father also, and from henceforth you know him, and have seen him.

Why have you seen him? Because Jesus says, if you have seen me, as we continue here in verse 8, Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the father, and it suffices us. We'll be satisfied if you show us the father. Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long with you, and you have not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the father, and how say you, show me the father.

So Jesus came to reveal the father. Now we all want to look at Hebrews chapter 1. We want to complete picture. We want to be able to convince the gainsayer so that he has no rebuttal, so that we know, and we know that we know. Jesus said, If you have seen me, you have seen the father. How is this possible? Well, the Apostle Paul gives us the answer in the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 1 verse 2, Hath in these days spoken to us by the Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the worlds, who be in the brightness of his glory, and the exact the express image. The Greek means here the stamped image of his person. So Christ could tell Philip, if you've seen me, you've seen the father upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels as he has by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name. So he was his stamped image of the father. This is what the Bible says. It's not what anybody might make up. And so you have to have the line of online precept upon precept. Your premise has to be true. The premise has to be taken from the Scripture itself. Now we go to Romans chapter 5. So Jesus came and he revealed the father. He is the stamped image of the father. He told Philip, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. And now in Romans chapter 5 verse 9, much more than now being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Much more being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. See, it was necessary that Jesus Christ be resurrected from the dead. As we've already noted, the father raised him from the dead. And as we know from the day of Pentecost, in its meaning that on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent to the New Covenant Church. God and Christ are now in us.

Jesus proclaimed the name of God, and we should understand the name of God, who he is and what he is, and to think on his name. To think on his name has to do with the fact that he always has our best interest in heart. That he, because of his love, his grace, his mercy, he created us in the first place. He ordained the great plan of salvation. He sent Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world, and we might be viewed sinless and be reconciled to him, and to have our sins buried in the watery grave of baptism, and to be raised to newness of life, receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Now, let's notice the prayer that Jesus prayed just before he was crucified on that night. He said so many things to his apostles in John 24 and verse 24. I don't know why I have 24. There's 17. John 17 and verse 24.

Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name? Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. Ask, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken to you in Proverbs, but the time comes when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

At that day you shall ask in my name, and I will, I'm reading from 16, and I will pray the Father for you. For the Father himself loved you because you love me. Notice that the Father loves you because you have loved me, and I believe that I came out from God. Now, that's John 15, 27. Now, I want to go to John 17. I'm sorry, it's John 16, 27. Now, I want to go to John 17. In John 17, verse 24, Father, I will that they also whom you have given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. And Jesus Christ was loved before the foundation of the world, and God has bestowed that same kind of love on each one of us. Let's read 23. I in them you in me that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them as you have loved me. Focus on that. You have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. Verse 25, O righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known you that have sent me. And I have declared unto them your name. What did he declare unto them? Your name. And we read from Exodus 3 15, when Moses said, whom shall I say that you sent? Since whom shall I say you sent me? The Yahweh Elohim. My name is in the angel of my presence. And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith you love me may be in them, and I in them. Now quickly, let's go to Malachi 3 16. I wonder how often we think on the name of God the Father, the one who loved us, who made it possible through his love for humanity, he and the Word, the one who became Jesus Christ. Of course, the Word had to give up his glory, humble himself, and take on the form of a man for this to happen, that you come to reveal the Father and direct silence to the Father. So in Malachi 3 16, then they that feared the Yahweh spoke often one to another, and the Yahweh hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Yahweh and that thought upon his name, and they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts. And that day, when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that served him.

So we can see how important it is to think on the great love and mercy, grace, and truth that God has bestowed upon each one of us. So I hope you will take to heart now what we have talked about here with regard to the importance of, come let us reason together. Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures.

How do you convince the Ganesayer, Titus 1 9, through sound doctrine?

What are the convicting agents? The convicting agents are the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. What is the ministry commanded to do? To preach the Word, to be instant in season, out of season.

Why did Jesus Christ come? He came to reveal the Father, to reconcile us to the Father, to declare His name, that we may know the Father, His love, His mercy, and all that He has provided for us through Jesus Christ and the Word. Now, we go back to Isaiah chapter 1.

This verse 17 of Isaiah chapter 1, let us reason together. Brother, do not count that lightly. Think about it. See if you can do those three syllogisms. Now, in Isaiah 1.19, if you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured, and with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken yet.

How is the faithful city that is Jerusalem becoming harlot? It was full of judgment, justice at one time. Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers.

Your silver has become dross. Your wine is mixed with water.

Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves, and everyone loves gifts and follows after rewards. They judge not the fatherless. In fact, they oppress the fatherless.

Neither do the cause of the widow come unto them. Therefore says the God of hosts, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies, and I will turn my hand upon you, and purely purge away your dross, and take away all your ten.

So just like silver and gold are refined, and what is left is dross. Israel or Judah had become dross, and so God says, I am going to purge that away. In verse 26, I will restore your judges.

I will restore your judges as at the first. If you want to know to a large degree what the millennium is going to be like, of course, the book of Isaiah has so much to say about what life is going to be like in the millennium.

You know, Isaiah 11 talks about the lamb and the lion, and so many of the things that we hear during Feast of Tabernacles with regard to how life will be in the millennium. I think we have sort of a... I don't know exactly what word to use, but it's going to take quite a while to bring everything together through Christ and the rule of the saints on the earth at that time.

And what's going to happen is the world is going to be, to a large degree, returned to an agrarian type society. Will we have the cities that we have today? Will we have the technology that we have today? Well, I don't know for sure, but I do know what it says in the Bible, and I want us to look at some of those things. It says in verse 26, I will restore your judges as at the first. You remember that when Moses was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, that his father-in-law, this is in Exodus 18, came to him and said, Moses, you're spending all day judging the people. You need to appoint judges, captains of the thousands, hundreds, and tens, and let them do that kind of work, and you be the intercessor before the nation and God. So to a large degree, the civil, the governmental structure, the economic structure that existed in Israel will be restored. It is the system that God gave Israel. It is a perfect system, because God is the one who constructed it. It ensures so many different things that deal with everything from a person's health to their economic well-being.

So I will restore your judges as first in your counselors, as at the beginning afterward you shall be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City. Right before Jesus Christ comes and intervenes, we read from Revelation 11.7 that Jerusalem is called Sodom and Gomorrah.

It's going to become the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and are converged with righteousness. Now with regard to this, remember one of the contemporary prophets with Isaiah was the prophet Micah. So let's go to Micah chapter 4. In Micah chapter 4, we shall see that what Micah writes is very similar to what we're going to read about that Isaiah writes in Isaiah chapter 2. In Micah chapter 4 verse 1, but in the last days, that's what we're talking about the beginning of the millennium, it shall come to pass that the mountain, the government of the house, the Lord, shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and the people shall flow into the head, and many nations shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us with his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. It's almost word for word what Isaiah writes in chapter 2, which we'll read later. And he shall judge among many people, rebuke strong nations, afar off they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Back several years ago, outside the U.N. building in New York City, there was a statue an ironwork of a man beating a sword into a plowshare. If they have removed that now, it's no longer in the courtyard. I don't know, probably some religious group asked them to take it down, and so they have. But they shall sit every man under his mind and under his fig tree. Of course, for that to happen, you have to have an agrarian type society. None shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has the mouth of the Lord of Hosts spoken in, where all the people will walk everyone in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the YHVH, our God, for ever and ever.

In that day, says the Lord, will I assemble her that halts, now will gather her that is driven out, and I heard that I have afflicted. So a great restoration is going to take place. Now, the reign of Solomon—let's go to 1 Kings chapter 4 and verse 20 at this time—1 Kings chapter 4 and verse 20. In 1 Kings 4 and verse 20, we shall see that the reign of Solomon was a type of the kingdom of God.

People might talk about lavish things today, but notice what it was like in the days of Solomon, which will be surpassed, I believe, in the millennium, like we just read from Micah. This is 1 Kings 4 and verse 20. What are we talking about? The reign of Solomon was a type of the millennium. Judah and Israel were many as in sand, which is by the sea, in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the river into the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt, and they brought presents and served Solomon in all the days of his life. Now listen to this. And Solomon's provision for one day was 30 measures of fine flour, three score measures of meal, 10 fat oxen, and 20 oxen out of the pasture, 100 sheep besides hearts and roebucks, and fallow deer and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side, the river from Tippsha even to Azah, over all the kings on this side of the river, and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely every man under his vine, under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba all the days of Solomon. Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen. You can read the rest of the chapter of all the things that Solomon had. Now we want to go back to Isaiah where we left off in chapter one in verse 27. And let's read Isaiah chapter one in verse 27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and are converts with righteousness. Converts is analogous to those who have repented and turned their lives around. See, Israel and Judah will not be restored in the ultimate sense until they repent, and they fulfill Zechariah 12.10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced.

Verse 28, in the destruction of the transgressors, that of the sinners shall be together, that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks. Now what this means, the oaks, the trees, were where they offered their offerings to the pagan gods.

They shall be ashamed of the high places, the oaks, the fault altars, which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen. They usually had gardens around the places where they offered sacrifices, where you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that hath no water. In other words, the false idols and the false worship is going to be done away with. And the strong shall be his toe, and the maker of it has a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. So God is going to burn up the evil works and restore Israel and Judah. Israel and Judah will be the leading nation to bring all nations into a relationship with God and a part of the Israel of God. So that concludes our study for this evening. I didn't know it was going to take as long as it took to do the part about the syllogisms, but I want to tell you once again, I hope that each of you will attempt to do the three syllogisms, and once again you can email them to me if you want to check whether or not they are valid and follow the rules of logic. Now you can follow the rules of logic and be wrong because that major premise has to be true. For example, you could say that all men are immortal, I am a man, therefore I am immortal. Well, you followed the rules of logic, but that's the false syllogism because your major premise of all men are mortal is false. So the major premise has to be true, and the minor premise has to be drawn from the major premise. Then the conclusion draws from both the major and minor premise.