Open your Bibles to the book
of Isaiah, chapter 25. It's not so much evident in this
area where the mountains are so close together, but over in
Virginia, especially in the state of Virginia, there are mountain
ranges with wide, flat, beautiful valleys in between the mountain
ranges. I'm thinking of Shenandoah Valley,
especially. It's on either side of tremendous
mountain range. And if you're there, you can
distinguish. If you're in the valley, you
can see this mountain range. You can go here and see this
one and the vast valley in between. If you're off yonder in a distance,
way away, miles and miles and miles, and you're looking at
these two mountain ranges, you see this one and that one, and
you're not even conscious that there's a valley between them.
They look like they're together. They look like they're... You
see them both. There's the two mountains, one
is above the other in places, this one's above that one, but
it's hard to tell that there's even a valley between them. And
I realized that in the Old Testament, they talk a lot about the first
coming of our Lord, the mountain of his first coming, that tremendous
mountain, mountain range, our Lord incarnate came to this earth. And then the 2,000 years between
his first coming and his second coming, we're aware of that because
we're living in it. sitting right here in the middle
of it. But also in the scriptures, there's Old Testament scriptures,
there's scriptures talking about his second coming, when he'll
stand on the mountains, I read to you, as the victorious returning
Lord. Now, we are acquainted with both
the first coming and the second coming, and we're in the midst
of the valley. But these people back here, who
are on this side of all of it, and these prophets writing, sometimes
in their writings it's hard to tell whether they're talking
about the first coming or the second coming. It's just sometimes it's just
they're so, to them, the coming of the Lord. They don't see this
vast land between the two comings. And I know particularly, especially
the writings of Isaiah, he talks, I guess most of the time, His
writings have to do with Christ's first coming, when he came to
redeem his people, when he came to fulfill the purpose and promises
of God, when he came to restore that which we lost in Adam, the
first coming. But I believe in our Scripture
today, Isaiah is talking about his return, his second coming. This chapter seems to fit that
mountain. It also has the first man, but
it seems to fit that mountain more than the other. This chapter
seems to talk about his victory, his triumphant return and the
glory which shall be ours eternally from that time. Our Lord said
that. He said, I go away, but I'll
come again. I came from the father. I go
back to the father. There'll be a time in between
here. And I'll return and receive you unto myself that where I
am there you may be also." When our Lord had accomplished his
work on Calvary and rose from the grave, he stood surrounded
by his disciples on the mountain. And as they gazed upon him, he
was taken up from them in the clouds. And as they stood and
watched him ascend to heaven, the angel of the Lord appeared
to them and said, Ye men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into
heaven? This same Jesus shall so come. In like manners you've seen him
go. He's coming back. And I believe Isaiah is talking
about that return. So let's look at it verse by
verse for a few moments. Isaiah 25. Oh Lord, when you
see that word capitalized like that, L-O-R-D, all capitals,
That's Jehovah. Oh, Lord. Oh, Jehovah. Oh, just
God and Savior. Oh, Savior God. Oh, Lord Jesus
Christ. Listen. Thou art my God. Thou. Thou, the incarnate word. Thou, Jehovah. You are mine. I don't know about everybody
else, but you're my God. You're the object of my affection
and worship. Oh, Lord Jehovah, you are my
God. Like Thomas of old, my Lord and
my God. If he asks me today, what think
ye of the Christ? I say he is the Son of God. He is my Lord and my God. Look at the next line. I will
exalt thee. How can this worm exalt him? How can this worm of the dust
glorify Him? He's who He is. He's where He
is. Well, how can I exalt Him? You know, David said that, come,
come on with me. Let's exalt the Lord together.
What do you say? Let's exalt God together. How
can we exalt Him? I'll tell you. First, by ascribing
all glory praise and deity to him. That's how we exalt him. Come, let us bow down, let us
worship the Lord Jesus Christ, our God. That's how I exalt him,
by ascribing all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope
to be, all glory, deity, salvation to him. And secondly, how can
I exalt him? By attributing the whole of the
work. of my redemption to him. Whom
he foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed to his image.
And whom he predestinated, he called. And whom he called, he
justified. And whom he justified, he'll
glorify. That's right. It's all of God. As Paul said over here in 2 Timothy
chapter 1, he said, he saved us. He called us, that's exalting
Him, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Thirdly, how can a worm exalt
the Lord Jesus? Thirdly, by receiving Him, submitting
to Him. trusting him. There's no greater
honor you can pay to a human being than to trust him. I don't
know of any other, any greater honor you can pay to anyone more
than say, I trust you, I believe in you. And that's the way we
exalt, I will exalt thee. by ascribing all glory to thee,
all salvation to thee, and by receiving thee, and believing
on thee as my Lord and Savior. Humbly, simply, sincerely, I've
committed it all to him. It's just done. I'll read on. I'll praise thy name, for thou
hast done wonderful things. I want to read David's psalm
here a minute, Psalm 72. Just a few words. I will praise
thy name, for thou hast done wonderful things. Wonderful things. Psalm 72, verse 17. Now remember,
Isaiah says, I will praise thy name, for thou hast done wonderful
things. Psalm 72, 17. Psalm 72, 17. His name shall endure forever.
His name shall be continued as long as the sun. Men shall be
blessed in Him. All nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the
God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. Blessed be His
glorious name forever, and let the whole earth be filled with
His glory. Amen and amen. Bless His name. who doeth wonderful things."
He's done wonderful things in creation. David said, when I
consider the heavens, the work of thy hand, the sun, the moon,
the stars. He's done wonderful things in
redemption. What's man that thou art mindful of him? He's done
wonderful things in providence and purpose. He healeth all our
diseases. He forgiveth all our iniquities.
He'll satisfy thy mouth with good things, and he'll yet do
wonderful things. For Peter said, there'll be a
new heaven and a new earth. Isaiah 25, look at it again.
I'll praise thy name, for thou hast done wonderful things. Listen,
thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. Now, I'm going to
read you something and then I'm going to declare something based
on this right here. Thy counsels, God's counsels
are His purpose, His purposes and His promises. And they are
faithfulness and truth. Now, let's read two things here.
First of all, we'll read Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46, verses 9 through 11. Thy counsel's purposes are of
old, from the beginning, and they're based on faithfulness
and truth. All right, Isaiah 46, verse 9. Remember the former
things of old, for I'm God, and there's none else. I'm God. There's
none like me, declaring the end. from the beginning and from ancient
times, the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel,
the counsels of God are from everlasting. My counsel, my purpose
shall stand, and I'll do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous
bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel, whatever
it might be. from a far country. I've spoken
it. I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I'll do it. His counsels are of old. They
are of old. God declares the end from the
beginning. That's what I want to read. Now
here's what I want to state. From Isaiah 25, and his counsels
are faithfulness and truth. His counsels are based on faithfulness
and truth. He will do it. That's what Isaiah
said here. I purposed it, I'll do it. I'll
do it. God's faithful. Look at 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. God will do it. God will do what
he purposed. He'll fulfill what he planned. In 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 23, And the very God of peace sanctify
you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit, soul, body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus, faithful is he
that calleth you, who also will do it. He's faithful and he'll
do it. But how will he do it? Go back
to the text. His counsels are old from the
beginning. And they're faithful, he'll do
it. But he'll do it in truth. He'll not compromise the truth
in the fulfilling of his counsel. He's got to be a just God and
a Savior. And therefore, the scripture
in Psalm 85, verse 10, therefore this scripture right here, And
it declares the whole thing, Psalm 85 verse 10. God is merciful, but God is righteous. God is
a God of grace, but a God of truth. And verse 10 of Psalm
85 says, mercy and truth are met together, and righteousness
and peace kiss one another. At Calvary, God's mercy is in
Christ, and God's truth is in Christ. God's grace is in Christ,
and God's justice is in Christ. God's kindness and love is in
Christ, and God's righteousness and holiness is in Christ. And
so his purpose to redeem a people, he'll do it, but he'll do it
in such a way that he'll be right and holy. And that's just the
very foundation of the gospel. It's got to be your counsels
of old are faithful. I came down from heaven, Christ
said, not to do my will, but the will of Him that sent me.
And that will of Him that sent me is to redeem a people, and
He'll redeem them. All right, verse 2. Let's move
on, verse 2 and 3. For thou hast made, here's his
return, he's coming back. For thou hast made of a city
a heap, destroyed it. Of a fortress city, a defense
city, a city with a wall around it, a ruin. He made it a palace
of strangers to be no city and it'll never be rebuilt. When
our Lord returns, When he has fulfilled his purpose
and counsel for his church, he'll also destroy all who oppose him,
no matter how strong. John wrote about that in Revelation
19. Let me read it to you. No matter
how strong. He said he's going to make a
city a heap and a fortress, a defense city, a ruin. No matter how strong,
he'll destroy his enemies. In Revelation 19, verse 11, listen
to this. I saw heaven open, and behold
a white horse, and he that sat upon it was called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he that judge and make war. His
eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns,
and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. He
was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called
the Word of God. And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean, and out of his mouth was a sharp sword. With it he'll smite the nations,
and he'll rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. he hath
on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings
and Lord of lords. And I saw an angel standing in
the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls
that fly in the midst of the heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God, vultures and buzzards,
that you may eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men,
horses, them that sat on them, and the flesh of all men, bond
and free, small and great." He's coming. It says here He's going
to make a heap of all their powerful, great, monstrous cities. Even those walled about with
mighty fortresses, He'll make them a ruin and they'll never
be rebuilt. And verse 3 says there's two
reactions to that coming. Two reactions. The strong people. Who is that? Well, verse four
tells you who they are. Thou hast been a strength to
the poor. Is this a fulfillment of Isaiah
61? Turn over there just a moment. This is the promise here. This
is the promise. This is the Messiah talking about
here, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Christ. Because
the Lord hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the meek,
humble, sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty
to captives, opening a prison to them that are bound, preach
the gospel to the poor. See this, we, God has chosen
the foolish. Things that are not. In verse
4 of my text, Isaiah 25, is a fulfillment. Thou hast been a strength to
the poor. You are their strength. You have
been a strength to the needy and his distress and sin and
weakness. Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden. You have been a refuge from the
storm. You are their only refuge. You
have been a shadow from the heat, trials, and troubles. When the
blast of the terrible ones is as a storm, it comes against
the wall. Our wall is Christ. We hide behind
the wall. So when you come, verse 3, therefore
shall the strong glorify you. Strong in the Lord, strong in
the power of His grace and the power of His blood. The Lord
is our strength, our confidence, and we're going to meet Him glorifying
Him. He said, I'll exalt you by attributing
all glory to you and my salvation to you and trusting you. Now
when He comes, we're going to meet Him. Same exaltation, same
glory. But that won't be true of the
rest of them. Look at verse 3. The terrible nation shall fear
thee. Fear thee. Let me read you a
scripture. Revelation 6. Revelation 6. Listen to this.
When he comes, people who've been made strong by his grace,
strong in faith, trust, they'll glorify him. They'd be glad to
see him. That's not true of everybody. Revelation 6, verse 15. And the kings of the earth, and
the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the
mighty men, and every bondman and free man hid themselves in
the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. and said to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face
of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath
is come, and who will be able to stand?" I'll tell you who
will stand, those who are standing in him. He's our strength and weakness,
that's what Peter said, Lord save me, I'll perish. He's our refuge from the storm,
rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. I'm not
going to stand with an arrogant religionist and try to take on
the devil and his forces. I'm going to hide in Christ. He's a shadow of a rock in a
weary land. I tell you this, if I don't hide
in Him, there'll be no place to hide from Him. The wrath of
the Lamb. Back to my text, here's the good
news. All right, let's go down to verse 6. Here's the good news.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, listen to this. When He comes,
and in this mountain, what is that mountain? That's Mount Zion.
In this mountain, I want you to read about Isaiah 2. Let's
go back here a few pages to Isaiah 2. Isaiah 2, verse 2. Verse 1 of Isaiah 2 says, The
word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem,
It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of
the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains."
Maybe that's why we love our mountains so much. "...in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills. And all nations, every
kindred, tribe, tongue, and nation shall flow into it. And many
people shall go and say, Come ye, let's go up to the mountain
of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, He'll teach
us of His ways, and we'll walk in His paths. For out of Zion
shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many people, and they'll beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. And
nations shall never lift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye. Let's
walk in the light of the Lord. Righteousness of God shall cover
the earth as the waters cover the sea. That's the mountain. Who shall stand, who shall ascend
into that mountain, the hill of the Lord? Read on now, verse
6. In this mountain shall the Lord
of hosts make unto all his people a feast. A feast, that's the
marriage supper I read about the other night. Come to the,
blessed and holy is he that's called to the marriage supper
of the Lamb when he comes. A feast of fat things, all the
promises fulfilled. A feast of wines on the leaves,
the leaves, I looked that up, that's the dregs, that's The
wine remains for a long time on the leaves, and that makes
it the best wine. It's worked for a long time in
a painstaking and patient way, and that's the best wine. We're
going to have a feast of good things and fat things and wine
on the leaves of fat things full of marrow. This is not veneer
stuff, this is the genuine. Wine on the leaves, well refined. And watch this, now this is interesting.
The mountain of the Lord, the marriage supper of the Lamb,
when the Lord comes, the gathering of His people, all nations into
the mountain of the Lord, and He will destroy, at that time,
in this mountain, the face of the covering cast over all people. and the veil that's spread over
all nations. What is that? Well, I'll tell
you. Two scriptures will help you.
1 Corinthians chapter 13. 1 Corinthians 13. Now, I've been preaching since
1950 this gospel of grace. And some of you have been with
me that long. We've been studying. Studying,
studying, studying. Much study is awareness of the
flesh. Of the making of books, there is no end. We've been studying,
studying, studying. And feel like we've gained a
little knowledge. But you know how much knowledge we've gained?
About a thimble full. Just about a thimble full. In 1 Corinthians 13, verse 12,
it says, Verse 9 says, we know in part,
we prophesy in part. There's a covering over everything
I study and read. It's kind of a veil. The Lord
lets me see just a little, it seems like, just a shade, just
a morsel. We go home for dinner, Bob's
the meat cutter. And he gets the meat, cutting
it, you know. I walk over there and he'll get a little piece
and give me. Just a little piece. I like that. He won't sample
it. Just a sample. That's all I got here, just a
sample. It says down in verse 12, I see through a glass dimly. And now I know in part. But then,
oh then, I can harden away. I'm gonna know like I've been
known. Then you can ask me anything,
and I can tell you. The other scripture, what says
2 Corinthians 3, here's the other one. Talking about Israel. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 13. And not as Moses, which put a
veil over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
look to the end of that which is abolished, but their minds
were blinded, and from this day, for until this day, remain at
the same veil, untaken away, in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses
is read, the veil is upon their hearts. And he says here in my
text, he's going to destroy, verse
7, Isaiah 25, in this mountain, the face of the covering cast
over all the people. Our weakness mentally, our inability
to grasp and understand, lay hold on the riches of God's grace,
These minds that God has given us haven't been used one ten
millionth of what they're capable of. And then the veil, Moses
came down off that mountain and his face was shining with the
glory of God in such a way that people couldn't look at it. And
Moses put a veil up over his face like this. And Paul said it's still there. When they try to read this book, The doctors can't see. But boy,
one day, he said in this mountain, we're going to move the covering
and move the bagel. And we're going to know like
we have been known when he comes. And watch this verse 8. And he's
going to swallow up death. Death is so cruel. Death is so grievous. Death is
so final. Death is so dreadful. And that's
the reason Paul said the last enemy be destroyed is death. At His coming, He's going to
turn all of this into victory. All of our grief and sorrow and
mourning, He's going to turn it into victory. And Lord, listen,
He's going to wipe away tears from all faces. We don't know
how many hearts are broken, how many tears are shed, How many
people have been hurt, hurt, hurt by others, wounded, hurt
just where they make their pillar tears at night. But I'll tell
you one of the sweetest sights is to see a mother or dad go
and pick up a little fallen three-year-old, bring him close and wipe his
tears away, just wipe them away. But that's what this says. He's
going to do that. The Lord God is going to gather
his children that have been hurt and wounded by the people of
this world, and he's going to wipe away the tears. Even hurt
by him in his chastisement in dealing with them. But he's going
to wipe away the tears. Now watch this. And the reproach
of his people He'll take away from off all the earth. What's
that talking about? Now listen, we're talking about
when He comes at marriage supper, the feast, the gathering of all
the elect from everywhere. And death will be no more. He's
going to dry their tears. And then He's going to take away
their reproach. Here's what He's talking about.
God's true believers, God's sheep, They're not loved by the people
of this world. They're not appreciated. They're not loved. They're despised
and too often ridiculed and made fun of. Their gospel is not loved. The thing that they give their
heart to and their life to is not appreciated. It's foolishness
to this world. Their dear Redeemer, is scoffed
and mocked, rejected and ignored. Their way of worship is despised. Their lifestyle is despised. Their convictions and principles
and values are made fun of. His people have been misrepresented,
mistreated and martyred. But he said in that day, they're
going to be vindicated. They're going to be vindicated. and their enemies are going to
be put under his feet. His people are going to be seated
with the king, recognized by the king, and those who reproach
them and rebuke them and ridicule them are going to be under the
king's feet and under their feet. That's right. You take away their
reproach and their rebuke, for the Lord
God hath spoken it. And when our Lord returns, and
when the feast is served on the mountain, and when the veil is
removed, and when death is swallowed up in victory, and when all tears
have been wiped away, when all believers are owned and vindicated,
then it shall come to pass this saying, verse 9, and it shall
be said in that day, Lo! This is our God. The Lord Jesus
Christ. He's our God. Not the idols of
men or the idols of religion. This is our God. This God-man. We have waited for Him. We have
waited in confidence and truth and trust and faith. Our lives
have been given to Him. We've waited for His coming.
And now He's come and He'll save us. He has saved us. He is saving us, and He will
save us. This is the Lord! The Lord! And we've waited for Him, and
we'll be glad! Oh, how glad we'll be! And rejoice
in His salvation. For in this mountain shall the
hand of the Lord rest. And this is sad, I'm sorry, but
Moab shall be trodden down unto Him like straw is trodden down
for a dunghill, just as worthless, spread on
the dunghill, straw spread on the dunghill, chap which the
wind driveth away, a heath grown in the desert, a tumbleweed.
And he'll spread forth his hands in the midst of them as he that
swimmeth Spread forth his hands to swim, and he'll bring down
their pride. They won't speak to you now.
He won't speak to them then. That's it. That's just the way
it is. That's the way it's going to be. I'm sorry. If I don't hide in him, I can't
hide from him. But He's going to bring down
their pride together with the spalls of their hands. All the
things they've built, the things they've done, the influence and
power and name that they have put on buildings and everywhere
else, He's going to bring them down and their spalls with them. And the fortress of the high
fort of their walls, He'll bring down, lay low, bring it to the
ground, even to the dust. Thus thou art, and thus thou
shalt return. In verse 1 of chapter 26, I have
to read, In that day this song will be sung in Judah. We have
a strong city. Salvation will God appoint for
our walls and bulwarks, to open ye the gate that the righteous
nation which keepeth the truth of grace may enter in, and thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind, faith, affection,
heart is stayed on thee, because he trusted thee. So trust ye
in the Lord forever. The Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength. O Lord, thou art my God.