Plunging into The Glory, C. R. Oliver [feel good novels txt] 📗

Plunging into The Glory
Isaiah 60-66

Introduction:

The last six chapters comprise a climax to "the re-introduction of God to His people." For fifty-nine chapters the prophet unfolded a dramatic display of the intervening power of the Almighty in behalf of His covenant people. Now, it is time to rehearse what has been said and rapidly close his work. 

In these six chapters, Isaiah used a broad brush to show how God has followed a plan from the beginning of time to the end of the ages. That plan has never been far removed from His people and its intent is to bring His kingdom on earth and a New Jerusalem where the old one stands. 

Jerusalem is special. The current fight over its control is expected in light of the prophecy that surrounds it. Like a magnet drawing the nations to judgment, earthly Jerusalem will end as the heavenly one descends (Similar to Jacobs ladder, heaven and earth will come together). 

As these last chapters unfold, it becomes the duty of both the writer and the reader to separate what is a promise to national Israel and what is promised to the church. To help in this task, one needs to remember Isaiah uses familiar events in Israel's history to reveal future events in the providence of God. For instance, he used Israel's deliverance from Egypt (as a reminder) to show his nation that God is still able to deliver His people. 

Now, he equates Israel's restoration (after the Babylonian captivity, which was an event taking place after his lifetime) to be evidence that God can yet rescue and glorify His people. As in any comparison, Isaiah vacillates between items cogent to Israel's Babylonian return and those at the end of the ages. Just as Israel had to rebuild their cities and Temple after the return of Zerubbabel, God is shown bestowing His favor on the Church and promises His Temple reign on earth will be magnificent. 

One of the hallmark passages is in chapter 61, which Jesus quoted in the Temple (as recorded in Luke 4:18ff). Jesus stopped short of quoting the entire passage, however. He ended before announcing, "the day of vengeance." He deliberately separated the beginning of His ministry from those times of violent intervention by the heavens. 

Chapter 60:

This chapter begins with a mandate:

Isaiah 60:1-3
'Arise, My people! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the Lord is streaming from you. 2 Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. 3 All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see the glory of the Lord upon you.'
TLB

The Lord opens His treatise to the church with a command: "Arise, Let your light shine for all the nations to see." What will be the result of shining out to the nations? "All nations will come to your light." (We have seen this proven. All nations and tribes of men have responded to the Gospel light, either positively or negatively.) 
Notice also, "Darkness, as black as night, shall cover all the peoples of the earth." As in the day of deliverance from Egypt, the children of light stood out against the background darkness of Pharaoh. 
Isaiah then uses the "known" world of his day as well as citing familiar places (that were at unease with Israel), portraying them as coming to bow before them. In like manner, the church will see those who have opposed its message coming to support it.

Isaiah 60:10-12
'Foreigners will come and build your cities. Presidents and kings will send you aid. For though I destroyed you in my anger, I will have mercy on you through My grace. 11 Your gates will stay wide open around the clock to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will cater to you. 12 For the nations refusing to be your allies will perish; they shall be destroyed.'
TLB

Isaiah will soon juxtapose the differences between the restoration of Israel after Babylon and the glorification of the church after persecution. 

When Zerubbabel arrived to restore the ancient city and Ezra came to rebuild the Temple, the response of the people was twofold. From the younger generation there was rejoicing, but with the elder citizenry there was weeping. The elders realized the rebuilt Temple did not have the glory of the former. In other words, Jerusalem was rebuilt, but only national Israel was restored - spiritual Israel was not restored. This was the case when Jesus arrived and in many ways is the case today! 

However, when modern Israel emerged, it was to be a sign to the church (The Isaiah promises were about to take place in them. A single sentence proves it).

Isaiah 60:13
My Temple will be glorious.

(Previously God said in Isaiah 60:7, 'I will glorify My glorious Temple in that day.') 

Then, the prophet points to the timeframe for this aggrandizement:

Isaiah 60:19-61:1
'No longer will you need the sun or moon to give you light, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and He will be your glory. 20 Your sun shall never set; the moon shall not go down--for the Lord will be your everlasting light; your days of mourning all will end. 21 All your people will be good. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with My own hands; this will bring Me glory. 22 The smallest family shall multiply into a clan; the tiny group shall be a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will bring it all to pass when it is time.'
TLB

It is now time for this prophecy to be fulfilled. 

Chapter 61:

The context for this glorious transformation began with Jesus and the birth of the early church. When the church was born, it was born in Israel and in Jerusalem. No longer would the territory be known as the habitation of the Jews, for a transformation began with the birth of the glory-filled upper room. Spiritual association with this event changed forever the relevance of that city. No longer would it be characterized as the place of the Temple, but the place of the birth of His Kingdom on earth. Jesus positioned it as the seat of the church.

Isaiah 60:18
Your walls will be 'Salvation' and your gates 'Praise!'

When Jesus began His ministry, He quoted the following passages from Isaiah 61 and He did so inside the Temple. He established spiritual Israel and the spiritual Temple at that time. He reiterated the fact when He spoke to the woman at the well, "neither will you worship in this mountain nor in Jerusalem..." 

When Jesus quoted what is recorded in Luke 4:18ff, He stopped short of the complete passage. "The day of vengeance" had not come, and He was not at liberty to announce it.

Isaiah 61:1-3
'The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me 
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, 
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
NKJV

Luke 4:18-19
18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me 
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives 
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
NKJV

Isaiah 61: 3 is oft quoted. The rejection of the Church and its message has brought Inquisitions, periods of dark oppression, death, hunger and family separation, but in "the day of the Lord," those trials are forever gone.

Isaiah 61:6-7 TLB
You shall be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You shall be fed with the treasures of the nations and shall glory in their riches. 7 Instead of shame and dishonor, you shall have a double portion of prosperity and everlasting joy.

Double Grace is upon the glorious church (Grace: the enabler, helper to be what God called one to be, the great provider for the task He has called you to do, the great covering for the anointing flowing out of your life, the great eraser of all your sin and shame). 

Paul declared the church to be comprised of priests and kings administering grace through the New Covenant. Isaiah saw the day and prophesied it so to be!

Isaiah 61:8
I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.
TLB

Chapter 62:

At the beginning of this chapter, Isaiah declares His love for the people of God and Jerusalem. He sees the promise of God in the distance and commits himself to be an intercessor until God delivers those pledges. In these next two chapters, there are some immutable promises: First, He promises to bless His people and be constantly available to them. Second, He promises to punish those who rebel against Him and trouble His people. Below is Isaiah's commitment to that agenda.

Isaiah 62:1-2
Because I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I will not cease to pray for her or to cry out to God on her behalf until she shines forth in His righteousness and is glorious in His salvation. 2 The nations shall see your righteousness. Kings shall be blinded by your glory; and God will confer on you a new name. TLB

While introducing this portion, a rare thing occurs; Isaiah talks about himself and his feelings. Clearly, it is a response to the overwhelming prospect facing the transformation that must take place. He even says God will give Zion a new name. The old name is associated with sin, rebellion and is despised on the earth. The New Name is associated with God's glory. God has done this before, in giving a new name to Abraham and Sarah, as well as Jacob.

Isaiah 62:12
(God's covenant people) shall be called "The Holy People" and "The Lord's Redeemed," and Jerusalem shall be called "The Land of Desire" and "The City God Has Blessed." TLB

Spiritual authority takes place in the following passages. Isaiah establishes a plan of action based on the edict of God. He establishes intercessors with one goal in mind. This plan will end when God does His final work. The question is: where are the intercessors?

Isaiah 62:6
O Jerusalem, I have set intercessors on your walls who shall cry to God all day and all night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray, and give God no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes her respected and admired throughout the earth.
TLB

This plan of action is exactly what is required today for the establishment of the glorious church. A call to ceaseless prayer is currently being circulated among the saints. This is a time of serious intercession, just as in Isaiah's day. We know God's promises, it is time to usher them in. 

Chapter 63:

Similar to the role of the "daughters of Jerusalem" in the Song of Solomon, Isaiah participates in a dialogue with God.