Well, in the book of Isaiah,
chapter 66, we come to the last message in our study of the book
of Isaiah. I say our last message if I don't
chase any rabbits tonight. You know what chasing rabbits
is. That's when a preacher gets off his subject. I try not to
do that very often, but sometimes, you know, you get caught up in
things. This message is an encouraging
message, I know, for the people of God. And let's just take a
few moments and study these scriptures. I've entitled the message, God
of Peace, God of War. God of Peace, God of War. Now, man by nature has a real
tough time reconciling in his fallen, sinful, limited mind. how God can be both loving and
a God who hates. I had a preacher tell me one
time, he said, God doesn't hate anybody or anything. And I told
him, I said, well, you better read the Bible. Because you've
missed a lot of parts of that Bible. A big part of it. Man has a tough time trying to
reconcile how God can be a God of peace and a God of war. And
that's why you find in so many cultures where false religion
prevails, you'll see many gods. They'll have a god of peace or
a god of love, and then they'll have another god of war. And
even in what is known sometimes as Christianity, which is truly
false Christianity, you'll find people speaking in this way,
that they don't really understand the the wrathful God of the Old
Testament, but they really like the loving God of the New Testament.
I've heard that. And, of course, they've missed
God altogether. He's the same God. And His love
is just as full in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament,
and His wrath is just as full in the New Testament as it is
in the Old Testament. Some of the harshest words that
our Savior spoke to self-righteous sinners is found in the New Testament. And God's wrath is plain and
God's love is plain. But He is the same God. We read
in the opening verses there in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse
29 that our God is a consuming fire. Now think about that. Our God is a consuming fire. And His fire consumes everything
that is in opposition to Him, everything that demands justice
against all sin. And He is our God, the same God
who loves us, the same God who is merciful and gracious towards
His people in Christ is a consuming fire. And the very reason He
can be a God of mercy and love and grace is because His fire
of wrath and justice has already been consumed in full in the
person of our Savior on Calvary. That's why Christ had to come
and die. So don't be mistaken about this. The God of peace, we're going
to talk about Him. He is the same who is the God
of war. He has declared war against sin. He hateth all the workers of
iniquity, the scripture says. And He cannot show love and mercy
and grace apart from His justice and His wrath being satisfied. Now, in the last time, we concluded
with words of peace from God to His people in Christ. Look
back up at verse 10 of Isaiah 66. Here are words of peace,
but they are only spoken to His people in Christ, who is the
Prince of Peace. There is no peace with God apart
from Christ. We're going to see that in these
last verses. But look at verse 10. He says, Rejoice ye with
Jerusalem. Now, that Jerusalem there is
an emblem, a symbol of the Church. The heavenly Jerusalem, the city
of the living God, not the earthly Jerusalem now. The earthly Jerusalem
we've already seen and we'll see tonight is going to be destroyed. And it was in A.D. 70. But he's
talking here to his people, his spiritual people here, believers.
If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a
citizen of spiritual Israel, spiritual heavenly Jerusalem.
So he says, Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye
that love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all
ye that mourn for her, that you may suck and be satisfied with
the breast of her consolations. There is only comfort and satisfaction
where the Lord is King and where He is recognized in His sovereignty
and in his redemptive glory, that you may milk out and be
delighted with the abundance of her glory, because her glory
is the glory of grace. It is not the glory of her own
goodness or her own accomplishments. It is the glory of Christ. We
reflect the glory of Christ. And he says in verse 12, where
thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like
a river. Peace like a river. And the glory
of the Gentiles, like a flowing stream, then shall you suck,
you shall be born upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees,
like a mother dandling her infant child upon her knees. That's
how safe Jerusalem is. That's how safe the church is
in Christ. That's how satisfied, how warm,
how loved the church is in Christ. Verse 13, As one whom his mother
comforteth, so will I comfort you. And you shall be comforted
in Jerusalem." Now, if he is talking, you know, some people
believe he is talking about physical Jerusalem here, but if he is,
it's not true. Because there was certainly no
comfort there. There's certainly no comfort there today. It's
nothing but a war zone. A conflict. Somebody said, well,
it's going to be better. Men have been saying that for
centuries. I'm telling you now, In the church of the living God,
where Christ is exalted and extolled and preached in the glory of
his person and his finished work, there is peace like a river right
now. Peace in the heart, peace among the people of God. And
he says in verse 14, And when you see this, your heart shall
rejoice. Now, do you believe the gospel,
the gospel of peace? Are you a born-again person?
If you are, when you see it, you will rejoice. You will rejoice
with the people of God. They are rejoicing in Christ.
And your bones shall flourish like an herb, and the hand of
the Lord shall be known toward his servants. Listen to how this
verse ends now. It leads us into the next section
here. And his indignation toward his
enemies. God's indignation. You see, the
peace he gives, like a mighty river flowing for abundance,
is the peace of pardon, of righteousness, of reconciliation and grace that
comes only in Christ. But now he begins to speak in
words of judgment and wrath against sinners, against all who reject
Christ. So understand this now. Here's
the foundation. God is a God of peace. He's a
God of love. He's a God of mercy, of grace.
He delights to show mercy, the Scripture says. God delights
to show mercy. He never shows mercy reluctantly
or begrudgingly. He delights to do it. But never
forget, to all who reject His great and beloved Son, His way
of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, His way of grace to all
who refuse to be washed in the blood of Christ and submit to
His righteousness alone as that which entitles and secures me
in glory." God is a God of war to those. So now let's begin. Here, here's the first point.
God's wrath upon Israel. This is a prophecy of the destruction
of physical Jerusalem. Right here. That's what this
is. Look at verse 4, or verse 15 rather. Behold, the Lord will
come with fire." That's wrath. You see, that's judgment. Now,
let me tell you something. It's not God throwing a temper
tantrum. You always have to understand
it. It's not God just arbitrarily saying that I'm going to get
these guys. That's not what He said. This is justice against
sin. This is man getting what he deserves. And that's why we pray to God
through Christ, our great high priest, Lord, don't give me what
I deserve. Give me grace undeserved, unearned
favor. And so he comes with a fire with
his chariots like a whirlwind. You know, when chariots come,
that's war. Here's a God of war. This is
all symbolic language showing how God's going to put an end
to that nation. And he says it's like a whirlwind. It's going to be so fast and
so quick and so thorough to render his anger with fury. And again,
his anger is his indignation. They're the same thing. Again,
it's not a temper tantrum. It's not God out of control.
And it's not God coming after innocent bystanders. He says,
"...and his rebuke with flames of fire." He says in verse 16,
"...for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all
flesh." Now, that means he's going to be begging anybody.
What that means, he's going to be pleading his cause. like bringing
the charges in court, the plea. And in this sense, it's the prosecuting
attorney, you might say, or the judge pronouncing sentence. And
his cause is the cause of his glory and his grace. And he says
he's going to plead this cause with all flesh and the slaying
of the Lord shall be many. And as I said, this is a prophecy,
I believe, specifically of a particular time in history, which took place
70 A.D. when God brought His final judgment
on unbelieving Israel. You see, it's terrible to deal
with God as a God of war, a consuming fire. He says here, the slain
of the Lord shall be many. It reminds me in Matthew chapter
7, when the Lord in the Sermon on the Mount, He said, Enter
ye in at the straight gate, for straight is the gate, and narrow
is the way, and few there be that find it. But broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many Many be thereon? You see, there's many. How many? I don't know, and I can't be
concerned with that. I just know this. I don't want
myself or you to be in that many. The Scripture says, for by one
man's disobedience, the many were made sinners. That's our
representation in Adam. But it says, by the obedience
of one, shall the many be made righteous. I want to be in that
many. that many whom Christ represented when He took the consuming wrath
of God's fire upon Himself for our sins. Turn over to John chapter
3 with me. Now, let me read verse 17 there
in Isaiah 66, but look, I want to compare this to John chapter
3. Look at John 3, and we're going to begin reading there
verse 18. But listen to what he says in Isaiah 66, 17. Now
here's the reason that God is a consuming fire in wrath and
judgment against a God of war against all who are without Christ. He says in verse 17 of Isaiah
66, and then we'll jump over to John 3. He says, they that
sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind
one tree in the midst eating swine's flesh, and the abomination,
and the mouse," isn't that kind of strange language there, a
mouse? Why does he mention a mouse?
And he says, "...shall be consumed together, saith the Lord." Well,
there are several things there. First of all, what he is describing
in verse 17 are religious rebels who worship their own way in
unbelief rather than God's way. That's what he's talking about.
They sanctify themselves. Now, in salvation, who does the
sanctifying? God does. What does it mean to
be sanctified? It means to be set apart. And
you know, people in religion, they set themselves apart in
a lot of different ways. It just depends on what their
religion is. It may be taste not, touch not,
handle not. Well, now, at our church, we
don't do this, but we do that. We wouldn't dream of eating that,
but we'll eat this. We wouldn't think of drinking
that, but we'll drink this. They're setting themselves apart,
you see. That's what they think makes them holy. That's what
they believe recommends them unto God. Well, these are they
that sanctify themselves. You see, you don't need to sanctify
yourself. God is the one who sanctifies
his people. He sanctified His people in sovereign
electing grace before the foundation of the world when He chose us
in Christ and gave us to Him. He sanctified us on the cross
of Calvary when Christ took our sins upon Himself and bore them
away and gave us His righteousness, established His righteousness
for us. And then He sanctifies us in the new birth when He sends
His Spirit to impart life, spiritual life and knowledge. and bring
us to faith in Christ. And He sanctifies us all the
way through, doesn't He? When He keeps us and preserves
us. We don't sanctify ourselves. But you see, these did, and it
says they purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in
the midst. You see, they don't worship at
the tabernacle, at the temple where the mercy seat is. They
establish their own altars in the groves and in the trees.
And they say, well, we can worship God anywhere. Now, let me tell
you something about that. A believer can really and truly
worship God just about anywhere, but we worship God at the mercy
seat at Christ, who is our mercy seat. And if you reject Him,
and you reject the fellowship of His people, and the assembling
together of His people to go out here on a rock and meditate,
you're no better than those who go behind the gardens behind
the tree in the midst. That's what they're doing. They're
rejecting God's prescribed way and going their own. They eat
swine's flesh. Well, that's exactly what it
means. They eat pigs' flesh. Now, you know, under the old
covenant, that was forbidden. Under the new covenant, all things
are profitable in that sense, and all things are indifferent.
We do it in moderation. But that was forbidden back then.
It was forbidden for a purpose, you see. God set those people
apart. And somebody says, well, it was
done just for health reasons. I believe it was more than that.
But it had to do with the sanctifying of those people, not for themselves,
but by God. And it says, and the abomination,
an abomination is something that does not represent God aright.
It's like this. A sinner who seeks salvation
and expects salvation or claims salvation without Christ is an
abomination unto God. He may be doing his best to keep
the law. He may go to all the self-improvement
classes and read all the self-improvement books, and he may come out to
be an improved guy, and everybody might look at him and say, boy,
I highly esteem that kind of thing. But you see, if that's
done for salvation, trying to earn God's favor, the Bible puts
it this way in Luke 16 and verse 15, that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination unto God. It doesn't represent God
right. You see, God is a God who is
sovereign. He's merciful. He's gracious. He justifies the
ungodly. He doesn't save people who deserve
to be saved. That's a false God, and he can't
save. He doesn't save people who earn
their way into his favor. That's a false God, and he can't
save either. So then he says in the mass,
now why does he put that in there? Well, I'll tell you exactly why
I believe he puts it in there. What he's saying is that, look,
When it comes to man in his sin and the consuming fire of God,
he is no better than the lowly old weak mouse. And God, it takes
no more to consume a nation of idolaters than it takes for God
to consume a mouse. That is what he says. He is powerful
in his fury against sin. And he says, they all shall be
consumed together. with no more difference than
what it would take for God to consume a mouse. Now, who says
that? Saith the Lord. Well, look over
at John 3 now. Look at verse 18. Here's some New Testament commentary
on this kind of situation. Hear the Lord. Now, he's been
speaking to Nicodemus, a religious Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin,
a man whom everybody admired. from a human viewpoint, seemed
to be a humble man. He came to our Lord by night
and he admitted, you must be sent from God because nobody
could do what you do and not be sent from God. He didn't believe
Christ is God. He didn't believe Christ is the
Messiah, but he said that much. And our Lord told him, you must
be born again. And then he drove him to the cross. He said, the
son of man must be lifted up like Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, that whosoever cometh unto him might be saved.
And he talked about God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish,
but have everlasting life. Verse 17, for God sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through him might be saved. Christ didn't come to condemn,
he came to save. The world was already condemned.
But look at verse 18. He says, he that believeth on
him, is not condemned. He made peace on the cross. But look on, it says, but he
that believeth not is condemned already. In other words, they're
not condemned because they believe not. Their believing not just
reveals they're already condemned. And he says, because he hath
not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. But
go on, verse 19, this is the condemnation, that light is coming
to the world. That light is Christ. That light
is the gospel of grace, and men love darkness rather than light.
Now, who would love darkness rather than light? Someone who's
blind. And I'll tell you what, people
who are blind would love light rather than darkness, wouldn't
they? They'd love to be able to see. But who would love darkness
rather than light? Well, look here. Why did they
love darkness and hate light? It says, because their deeds
were evil. Now, what are deeds? That's man's efforts to save
himself. So he says in verse 20, for everyone that doeth evil,
hateth the light, neither cometh the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved or discovered. In other words, you can hide
the wickedness of self-righteous deeds under the cloak of false
religion. But you cannot hide them under
the light of truth, the light of the gospel of God's grace."
Now, go back to Isaiah 66. This is the issue, you see. These
people that he's talking about, under which God is a God of war,
of consuming fire, they chose their abominations. They chose
their false refuges. They refused to bow before the
God of the covenant, the God of all grace. And so they learn
that without Christ, without God's grace, God is a God of
war. God is a God of judgment. His
judgments are right. His judgments are true. And his
judgments are terrible. Now, before I leave that point,
let me make this point. My friend, if God is to you a
God of peace, then you'd better thank God for his grace. Isn't that right? The only reason
that you and I are not at war with God right now is His grace
is sufficient. Who makes us to differ? Always
remember that. Because by nature and by practice
and by deeds, we're no more deserving of God's peace, of God's mercy,
of God's love than any of these that he's described right here.
In fact, that's what we were in some form or fashion. before
God sovereignly intervened in our lives. And as the old writer
said, put the bridle in the mouth of the wild ass's coat and tamed
him to turn in the direction that God wanted him. Listen,
by the grace of God, we are what we are. Always remember that. It's of the Lord's mercies, Jeremiah
wrote in the book of Lamentations, it's of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed. Isn't that right? What a God
we serve. Look at the second point here,
verse 18. Here's God's gathering of all nations into his church.
Out of the destruction of Israel comes the salvation and gathering
of Christ's church. He says it, now he begins, he
says, for I know their works and their thoughts. Now that's
talking about those who reject it. God knows their works and
he knows their thoughts. But, here's the break now, it
shall come, God's going to be a consuming fire to all those
whom He knows their works and their thoughts, these rebellious
idolaters. He says, but it shall come that
I will gather all nations in tongues. Now here's a gathering.
And this is a gathering of grace. This is a marvelous thing here
now, and you're part of it. Every one of us who know Christ
sitting here tonight, we're part of what Isaiah, is talking about
right here. This is an in-gathering, and
it's described in so many different ways in scripture. One of the
greatest ways, and to me, one of the most comforting and lovely
ways that it's described is in John 10, when Christ speaks of
himself as the Good Shepherd, who lays his life down for the
sheep. And he says, I'm going out to
get the sheep. And he said, I've got sheep that are not even of
this foal, this Jewish foal. He had sheep among the Jews.
But he said, I've got sheep that are not of this foal. And he
said, them I also must bring. I've got to get them. I bought
them. He said, he's going to buy them with his death. He's
going to pay the price, redemption. And he said, I'm going to go
out and gather them. And they're going to hear my voice. And I
know them. And they're going to know me.
And when they come into the foal, when I bring them into the foal,
He says, no one shall pluck them out of my hand, out of my Father's
hand. I, my Father, am one. This is
the gathering now. You're part of that in the New
Covenant. This is the church. And he says, I'm going to gather
all nations and tongues. That is, he has sheep all over
this world, out of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation.
Christ died for his people. And he's going to bring them
in. This is how God in his good providence is going to bring
good out of the rejection and destruction of Israel. Paul spoke
of that in Romans chapter 11. Turn over there with me. Here's
another New Testament commentary. We could read this whole chapter,
but I'm not going to tonight because my time will run out.
But this is what he's talking about in Romans 11, this gathering. What he had been talking about
in Romans 10 is the fact that the majority of the nation Israel
rejected Christ. And yet if you go back into the
Old Testament and you read prophets such as Isaiah, you can find
passages where God said through these men that Israel is going
to be saved. So the question comes up in verse
1, Romans 11, look at it. He says, I say then, hath God
cast away his people? In other words, God said they're
going to be saved, but now they're not saved. You can see that all
over the Bible. Here Romans 10, I won't go back
into that, but you read it. The majority rejected him. Romans
9 says the same thing. The book of Hebrews speaks of
that. Hebrews chapter 3, how even in the wilderness the majority
of them perished in unbelief. So does that mean God went back
on His promise? Or was God unable to fulfill
His promise? Well, he says, God forbid, there
in verse 1. Paul said, For I also am an Israelite,
of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. What he said,
God saved this Jew. God brought this Jew into the
fold. Doesn't mean God cast away His people. He said in verse
2, God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew, literally
foreordained. That's what that means. That's
the old Greek. He's not cast away any sinner,
Jew or Gentile, whom he foreknew, and what not, that word what
there means no, know ye not what the scripture saith of Elias,
that's Elijah, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel. That's when Elijah was on the
run, you know, and everybody was after him. So he got in that
kind of fleshly mode there that says, Lord, get them all, get
them all, get rid of them all. And he says, verse three, Lord,
they killed by prophets. They dig down thine altars and
I'm left alone and they seek my life. They want to kill me,
too. Verse 4, But what saith the answer of God unto him? I
have reserved, here's God's answer to Elijah, I have reserved to
myself seven thousand men, now that's out of Israel, who have
not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. There's seven thousand.
And I always say when I read that passage, I'm sure if Elijah's
anything like me at all, he might come back with the question,
Lord, could I meet two or three of them? you know, of these 7,000,
could I just have maybe a little gathering of a part of? Because,
you know, it was awful lonely, what, in Elijah's day. Well, he says in verse 5, now
look at this, he says, even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant, a small part, according to the election of
grace. God still has a people out of Israel. And he says, if
it's by grace, then it's no more works. Otherwise, grace is no
more grace. But if it be of works, then it's
no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more. It's all grace. Now,
here's what he points out in Romans 11. And this is what Isaiah
is saying back here in Isaiah 66. The nation of Israel is going
to be destroyed. And they were. Jerusalem is going
to be destroyed. But out of that, there's going
to come a great ingathering of people. out of Israel and out
of the Gentile nations. God has a people which He foreknew,
a remnant out of Israel, and we'd have to say a remnant out
of the Gentile nations. Look back here at Isaiah 66.
They'll come from every corner of the earth, and they'll see
His glory in Christ. Look at it. He says in verse
18, that I will gather all nations and tons, and they shall come
and see my glory." Now, how are they going to see his glory?
Look at verse 19, "...and I will set a sign among them." Now,
what do you suppose that sign is? Some kind of eclipse? Some kind of rainbow? Some kind
of a revival meeting? Well, turn back to Isaiah 7.
Look at Isaiah 7. Let's see what this sign is.
Now, this is how you interpret Scripture, folks, with Scripture.
A sign is a signet. And look at Isaiah chapter 7.
Let's just stay right here in Isaiah for just a moment. And he says in verse 13, look
at Isaiah 7, verse 13. He said, Here ye now, O house
of David, Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will
you weary my God also? Verse 14, Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. There is your
sign. The old comedian said, here is
your sign. Well, there is your sign. Now,
what is the sign? It's the coming of Christ, the
virgin son, Emmanuel. His name shall be called Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. His name shall
be called Emmanuel, which being interpreted as God with us. When old Simeon, let me read
this to you over here in Luke chapter two. Real quick, you'll
enjoy this. When old Simeon, you remember
Simeon, who was in the temple and the Holy Spirit had revealed
to him that he would not die and leave this world before he
had seen the Christ child, the Messiah. And over in Luke chapter
2 and verse 34, after Simeon held that child in his arms and
said, he said, I'm ready to depart, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. I've seen God's salvation. I've
seen the sign. He says in verse 34, and Simeon,
Bless them, that is, Mary and Joseph, and said unto Mary his
mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again
of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against."
He's the sign. He's set for the fall and the
rise of many. Many shall fall because of him. Who are they? Well, they're described
over here in Isaiah 66. They're the ones who worship
their own way, who reject him and will not submit to Christ
and his righteousness as the only way of salvation. But who's
going to rise? Well, look back at Isaiah 66.
Here they are. He says, I want to gather all
nations in tongues. And they'll come and they'll
see my glory. They're going to see the glory
of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. Incidentally, Over
there in Luke chapter 2, one of the most familiar verses to
people today is verse 14. It's quoted around the Christmas
season where he says, Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace, goodwill towards men. That shows you that God is only
a God of peace in Christ. Let me give you a literal interpretation
of the original language of Luke 2.14. It would read this way.
It would say, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace
among men with whom God is pleased." Now, who are men with whom God
is pleased? Only those who are in Christ. God is not pleased with anyone
outside of Christ. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Look back at Isaiah 66. So he
says, I'll set a sign, verse 19, among them, I will send those
that escape of them unto the nations. Now, the ones that he's
talking about who are escaped of them, that's escaped of Israel,
he's going to send them to the nations. Now, who's he talking
about? He's talking about his apostles. He's talking about the evangelist.
He's talking about men like Paul and Peter and James and John
and Philip who went out on the backside of the desert and preached
to a man from Ethiopia. Peter, who went down and preached
to Cornelius, a Gentile. These men, the gospel was given
to the Jew first and to the Greek also, and these that are escaped
of the nation that God destroyed, his elect, his sheep, he's going
to send them unto the nations, and he gives some nations here
that are kind of emblematic of the Gentiles, Tarshish, Pooh,
and Lood that draw the bow. What he's talking about is those
who are at war with God, alienated, and enemies in their minds by
wicked works who are going to be reconciled to God. He says,
"...to Tubal and Javan, to the Isles afar off, and that have
not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory, and they shall
declare my glory among the Gentiles." These men who are escaped out
of the nation that was destroyed, these apostles and evangelists,
these gospel preachers out of the Jews, they're going to preach
the gospel to the Gentiles all over the world. Especially a
Paul who was considered to be the apostle of the Gentiles.
Look at verse 20. Here's the fruit of the preaching
of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. They shall bring
all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations,
upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters," that's the wagons,
upon mules, and upon swift beasts. They're going to get there any
way they can. That's what that means. Whatever means they can
use to get there, they're going to get there. And where are they
going to get to? He says, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem,
to the church. That's what it's talking about.
They want to be with the people of God. They want to commune
with the Bridegroom. They want to hear Christ preached
and exalted. They want to study His Word.
They want to feed upon His Word. They want to express their love
and their gratitude and their obedience to God for this salvation.
They want to fellowship with His people. They want to be part
of the ministry of grace, and they want to be living examples
of God's grace and power. That's what he's talking about.
He says, and who says this? Sayeth the Lord as the children
of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of
the Lord. You know, when you can't, if
you're in Christ, when you came to church tonight, you came in
a clean vessel, not clean in yourself, but clean in Christ,
washed in his blood, clothed in his righteousness. And that
amazing that you can do that, that I can do that. with by God's
grace. He says in verse 21, he says,
and I will also take of them for priests and for Levites,
saith the Lord. The people of God, the church
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the individuals that make up that
body are called a kingdom of priests, which means we have
free access to God through our great high priest, the Lord Jesus
Christ. We don't have to have earthly priests. We don't have
to go through any man. We can go directly into the holiest
of all. by the blood of Christ. We can
come unto the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help
in time of need because we have a great high priest. You don't
have to worship around an earthly tabernacle. Christ is our tabernacle. You don't have to come down to
an altar. There is no altar down here.
Christ is our altar. Christ is our sacrifice. Christ
is all in all to us. That's what He means there. You
see, priest or a Levite naturally, but I am spiritually in Christ. And then look at verse 22. Here
is the certain survival of the Church. Now, for as the new heavens
and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me,
saith the Lord, so shall your seed in your name remain. Just
as it is sure as God is going to destroy this world, the old
world, the old earth and the old heavens, and replace it with
the new heavens and the new earth that will never perish, that
will always remain, that's how long the seed of Christ and their
name in Him will remain. The church is going to survive
it all. The people of God are going to survive it all. They
will remain. Christ's seed remaineth, the
scripture says. And verse 23 says they'll worship
the Lord continually. And it shall come to pass that
from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another
shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Those
are symbols. We're not going to keep calendar
dates there. That was the old covenant. But
what did those calendar dates, those festivals, those Sabbaths,
those new moons represent? They represent God's grace in
Christ and the fact that we rest in Him. And we're going to continually
do that forever and ever and ever. And so in verse 24, You didn't think I was going
to make it, did you? Here's the punishment of the
guilty. He says, They shall go forth,
and they'll look upon the carcasses, the dead bodies of the men that
have transgressed against me. For their worm shall not die,
neither shall their fire be quenched. The worm that dieth not, the
fire that won't be quenched, those are images of eternal damnation. And it's a sad, sad thing, isn't
it? But he says, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they
shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. Now, this abhorring, let
me close with this. This abhorring is not a hatred. It's a sorrow. It's a pity. And
it's not that we pity those necessarily because of what they are, what
they've done in rejecting the Lord. But my friend, it's a pity
that comes out of thanksgiving for God who saved us out of that
mess. Oh Lord, how, how and why did
God save me? You see, that's the issue. I
know how He did it. He did it by His grace. I don't know why
He did it. All I know is this, what He said,
it seemed good in His sight and it's for His glory. But Isaiah
closes with this stark contrast. It's either worship or the worm,
one old writer said. It's either faith or fire. That's
it. It's either Christ or condemnation.
Now, do you want to deal with God as a God of war against you
and your sins, or do you want to deal with God as a God of
peace in the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, that's the message of Isaiah,
isn't it? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be
saved.