| OVERVIEW OF ISAIAH |
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| Isaiah is known as the Messianic prophet, but his message spans to the end of time. |
| His end time prophecy begins in Isa 2:2, where he proclaims that, in the last days, the Mountain of the LORD’s House will be exalted above the mountains. Isaiah used the expression “LORD’s House,” bayith, and not temple, hekal. In the last days, we know that the “House of God” is the Church, the sanctified Church, that is the “House” built by the Spirit of Christ, in which the spirit of God dwells, as explained by John 14:2,23, and Eph 2:19-23. The mountain is the foundation of this House. This mountain is the Spirit of Christ, who Daniel explains as the stone that struck the statue of Nebuchadnezzar, and grew into a great mountain (Dan 2:35). This is the stone we read about in Isa 28:16, quoted in 1 Pet 2:6: “behold, I am laying in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” It is important to understand from Daniel’s prophecy, that the stone of Christ does not become this great mountain until the last days. Indeed, the Apostolic Church was corrupted by the Antichrist, and “the place of his sanctuary was cast down,” (Dan 8:11). The glory of God came into His temple (Ezek 43:1-2), when it was built according to the exact measurements (Ezek 43:11). Those measurements are the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 11:4), and the commandments of God (Acts 5:32; 1 John 5:1-3). The voice of the Almighty was heard as the sound of rushing water (Ezek 1:24, Ezek 43:2, Rev 1:15; Rev 19:6). This rushing water is the sound of the spirit of God, causing the tongue to emit sound in His Church. The mountain of Christ began to burn with fire. Ezekiel said that when the spirit of God “completes the eastern circuit,” this great mountain, burning with fire, will “enter the sea” (Ezek 47:8; Rev 8:8). The “sea” in Revelation is the salvation of mankind. The end time mountain of God is described in Dan 2:35, Isa 2:2, and Mic 4:1, and speaks to you today. It is the body of believers who do the will of God (Matt 7:21-24); the true vine (John 15:1); the sheep that hear Christ’s voice (John 10:1-5); the narrow gate, the only gate, by which we must enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 7:13-14). |
| Isa 2:4 tells us that in those days, the nations will hammer their swords into plowshears. This is the promise of “peace and safety” we find in Mic 4:1-3, Ezek 38:11, 1 Thess 5:3, and other places. |
| In Isa 2:11, he introduces the expression “in that Day” (bay·yō·wm) which refers to the end times and the “Day of the LORD.” The expression “in that Day” (bay·yō·wm) is used 41 times from Isa 2 until Isa 31, and appears only once more in Isa 52:6, (where it prophesies the realization of Israel, that God was speaking through Christ). |
| In Isa 4:1, we read that “seven women will take hold of one man.” This is the same message of Zech 8:23: “ten men will .. grasp the garment of a Jew.” In “the last days,” an “army of Israel” will preach the gospel (see Ezek 37:10), and all Gentiles will grab hold of this “one man,” that they might be called by the name of Christ, “the Branch of the Lord,” in verse 2. The Jews represent the spiritual Jews, who preach the truth in the last days, as described in Rev 14:1-5. Jesus told us that “salvation comes from the Jews,” (John 4:22). In verses 2-3, we are told: “in that Day the Branch of the LORD (Christ) will be glorious” and everyone who remains in Jerusalem will be holy. Here, he introduces the purified Israel which is a continual theme that carries on into Revelation. |
| In Isa 10:20, he tells that “in that Day,” the remnant will return. Paul sees the remnant in literal terms, “Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel, ‘though the number of children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved.'”(Rom 9:27). |
| In Chapter 11, he introduces the “Reign of Christ,” such that “the wolf will lie down with the lamb,” Isa 11:6. Certainly the time period of Isa 11 is all after Christ. The expression “root of Jesse,” in verse 10, refers to Christ, see Rev 22:16. The remnant in Isa 11:11 that is gathered “in that Day…from the corners of the earth,” vrs. 12, is the restored Israel of the last days. |
| Isa 13:6 introduces the judgment against Babylon in the Day of the LORD, see Rev 16:19. Of course, Chapter 13, like many of the prophecies from Chapters 7 to 12, is fulfilled in two time periods. Isaiah has many “double prophecies.” |
| Chapter 14:12-13 is a double prophecy of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Beast, and the Spirit of the Antichrist, as we find in Dan 8:10-11, and Rev 12. |
| Isa 19:20-23 is a double prophecy of the spiritual Egypt, see Rev 8:7; Rev 11:8; Rev 15:2-3; Rev 16:2-10; etc. Egypt represents the world, which can only be saved from the plagues, by the Saviour, see Isa 19:20. From Isa 21:9, comes the famous statement; “Babylon is fallen, fallen,” see Rev 14:8; Rev 18:2. |
| The theme of Isa 24 to 27 is the Judgment Day and resurrection. This begins in Isa 24:3: “the earth will be completely laid waste…”. Isa 24:21 says “In that Day that Yihvah will punish the host of heaven (the angels) and the kings of the earth.” Isa 24:23 warns: “the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed,” (see Joel 2:10 below). Isa 25:8 promises there will be “no more death, and God will wipe away every tear” as we read in Rev 21:4. The resurrection is first prophesied in Isa 26:19: “their corpses will rise.” Isa 27:1 tells us “in that Day” God will punish the serpent, the dragon, who is Satan, see Rev 12:9; 20:10. Finally, Isa 27:12-13 says “in that Day” the Lord will start His threshing at the Euphrates, see Rev 16:12; and “you will be gathered up one by one” (in the resurrection). Verse 13 reads “a great trumpet will be blown,” as described in Matt 24:31. Verse 13 continues: “All will worship in the Holy Mountain of Jerusalem,” which is the New Jerusalem, described in Rev 21:10, and also in Isa 24:23. |
| Isa 28: 1-13 explains the drunken state of those who corrupt the true religion. It is especially prophetic of those “who are drunk with the wine” of the Great harlot, (see Rev 17:2). Ephraim, in Isa 28:1, is representative of the corrupted Kingdom of Israel, and by extension the corrupted kingdom of heaven, “the kingdom of the beast,” throughout Hos 5 -14. Isa 28:11 says “indeed He will speak to this people through stammering lips and tongue.” This is interpreted by Paul in 1 Cor 14:21 as “speaking in tongues.” This clearly makes Isa 28 an end time prophecy, as Ephraim was dispersed, and only Judah, in vs 14-29, remained in the apostolic age of speaking in tongues. The True Church of the end days, the Rider on the White Horse, will speak with tongues, by the spirit of truth, and will “strike down the nations” or “Gentiles,” the corrupted kingdom of the beast, using the Word of God, see Rev 19:15. The identification of “the Rider on the White horse” is powerful throughout Isa 28:1-13; first in Isa 28:2: “behold the Lord has a strong and mighty agent; ” like…mighty overflowing waters” cf. Rev 19:6; “cast down to the earth” cf Rev 19:11. In Isa 28:3, we read that this mighty agent is against “the drunkards of Ephraim,” the corrupted kingdom of heaven that is drunk with the wine of Babylon. Isa 28:5 says: “in that Day, the Yihvah of the Armies will become a…glorious diadem to the remnant of His people” see Rev. 19:12. Isa 28:6 says “a spirit of justice for Him who sits in Judgment” cf. Rev 14:7; Rev 19:15.Isa 28:13 concludes: But the word of the Lord to them will be: “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught. “Precept, upon precept,” meaning that they heard the truth throughout the scriptures, but ignored it, and this became their judgment. The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uziel translates verse 13 this way: This shall be the cup of their punishment, because they have transgressed the word of the Lord, and because they were commanded to do my law, but would not do what they were commanded… Isa 28:16 brings us the famous message; “behold I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation.” See also 1 Pet 2:6. It is this stone, Christ, who hits the statue of the beast, in Dan 2:35, and becomes a great mountain; the mountain of the LORD in the last days that was described in Isa 2:2. |
| Isa 34 describes the destruction in the Day of the LORD, the description of “the sky rolled up like a scroll” in Isa 34:4, is also in Rev 6:14. The statement in Isa 34:15 “the hawks? will be gathered there,” is the verse Jesus quotes in Matt 24:28; however the Greek word used by Christ is actually “eagles.” The Jewish bible translates Isa 34:15 as “kites.” The kite, hawk, and eagle are all part of the falcon family of birds, which seems to be represented by the eagle, in the New Testament. The following verse, Isa 34:16 refers to the gathering up of the Saints, as in Matt 24:31, “None of these will be missing, For His mouth has commanded, and His Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) has gathered them.” The Targum reads: “by His Word they shall be gathered together.” Compare also with Isa 27:12, “you will be gathered up one by one.” The eagle which Christ referred to in Matt 24:28 is the fourth living creature, Rev 4:7, which is the end time saints. The expression Jesus used: “gathering the eagles where the corpse is” is an analogy of the gathering of the saints, in the LORD’s Day of destruction. |
| Isa 35 like Isa 11, describes “the Kingdom of heaven” – the New Jerusalem, which began in the Apostolic age, and continues into the New Heaven and Earth. |
| Isa 48 and the remaining chapters describe the future salvation of Israel. Isa 48:20 warns Israel to flee from Babylon. This is not the country of Babylon which will capture Israel 100 years later, but the spiritual Babylon. Isa 49 promises that salvation will be to the end of the earth (Matt 24:14). Isa 49:12 says that they will come from “afar” the North, the West and the land of Sinim. This phrase, “as many are as far off” was used by Peter to describe the gift of the holy spirit that would be given to “as many are as far off” in Acts 2:38–39. The Greek Septuagint, of 200 BC, interpreted Sinim as the land of the Persians, the eastern world. Modern scholars believe to be “Sina” – “China.” The message of the east as the end time revival of the true gospel is found also in Zech 6, and Ezek 43 and 47. |
| Isa 60 describes the New Jerusalem we see in Rev 21, Isa 60:11, “Your gates will be open continually, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations” cf Rev 21:24,25. Isa 60:19, “You will no longer have sun by day, moon by night,” cf Rev 21:23. |
| Isa 63:1-6 is the prophecy of the Spirit of Christ, the ELOHIM of Israel, who will tread the great winepress of God’s wrath, described in Rev 14:14-20. |
| Isa 65:17 is the famous promise of “a new heaven and a new earth,” see Rev 21:1. |
| Isa 66:15 describes the final vindication of Zion by chariots of fire. |
