Isaiah 6 ….And the future of

ISRAEL

For Christians today ….

• Ephesians 1:3• Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

• Spiritual blessings• In the heavenly realms

For Israel in the past

• Deuteronomy 28• Vs 1-2: If you fully obey the LORD your God

and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

• Vs 3-14: physical blessings here on earth

For Israel in the past

• Deuteronomy 28• Vs 15: However, if you do not obey the LORD

your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses [judgments] will come upon you and overtake you:

• Vs 17-68 Physical curses [judgments] here on earth

Why blessings and judgments?

• Deuteronomy 28:46:They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever.

• And these judgments included:• Vs 49-52 (Read)• Vs 64: Then the Lord will scatter you among all

nations, from one end of the earth to the other.

Background to Isaiah 6

• Saul, David, Solomon• Civil War• Ten Northern Tribes – Israel• Two Southern Tribes – Judah• Northern Kingdom & Deuteronomy 28 and the

Assyrian threat• Southern Kingdom & Deuteronomy 28 and

Isaiah 6

• 9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

• 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

• 11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,

• 12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.

• 13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

Judgment! Permanent?• 11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"

And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,

• 12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.

• 13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

So … what happened• Within a few years of Isaiah 6….• 2 Kings 18:11-12• The king of Assyria deported Israel [the

Northern Kingdom] to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes. This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

And Judah?

• Did they learn from what happened to Israel?• Yes!• King Hezekiah did right in the eyes of the Lord

(29 years)• Manasseh did evil (55 years)• Amon did evil (2 years)• Josiah did right (31 years)• But after that it was all downhill.

Jeremiah 25:11-12

• 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

• 12 "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever.

• The Babylonian Exile – for how long? 70 years

2 Chronicles 36:21-23 (read)• 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its

desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.

• 22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:

• 23 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: " 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you—may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.' "

Old Testament Summary• Blessing and judgments are signs to Israel• Such blessings and judgments are

temporary, not permanent, but can be for a long time

• The Southern Kingdom returned from the Babylonian Captivity after 70 years

• The Northern Kingdom returned (Samaritans) from Assyrian Captivity after 200+ years

Isaiah 6 in the Gospels• Jesus – the Christ (Messiah)• The miracles signified …. What? Isaiah 35:4-6a ….• 4 say to those with fearful hearts,

"Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."

• 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

• 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.”

Matthew 9:1-6 (read)• Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his

own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

• At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!“ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

• But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."

Growing opposition

• Matthew 10:14-16 (read)• If anyone will not welcome you or listen to

your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Opposition

• Matthew 11: John the Baptist was imprisoned• Matthew 11:20-24 (read)• Denoucement of Korazin, Bethsaida,

Capernaum• Matthew 12 Pharisees opposition• Sabbath – corn field• Sabbath – healing• Jesus is empowered by the Devil!

Parables …. Why?

• Matthew 13:10• Matthew 13:11-12• Matthew 13:13• This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

• In them is fulfilled ….

In them is fulfilled …• Matthew 13:14-16• In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

• For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

• But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

So did the judgment fall then?

• Remember, it took over 100 years from the time of Isaiah 6 to Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion

• Were Christ’s words aimed at the Nation or just a group within the Nation?

• Only subsequent events can tell us• So what did happen?• The Lord continued to minister to Israel

John’s Gospel

• Growing opposition• John 11: The raising of Lazarus• John 11:53-54: Sanhedrin plan to kill Jesus• John 12:9-10: Chief priests plan to kill Lazarus• John 12:37:Even after Jesus had done all these

miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

• So what now?

John 12:38-41 (read)• This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

"Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

• For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

• "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”

• Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

• So what now?

So what now?

• Arrest …. Trial …. Crucifixion …. But ....Prayer• Luke 23:34• Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do

not know what they are doing.”• Questions:• Who was this prayer for?• Romans? Israel (Acts 2:22-23;36-37)• Why did they not know?

So did the judgment fall now?At the crucifixion?

• Only subsequent events can tell us.• But if judgement did fall, it

would imply Christ’s prayer was not answered!

• Let’s look at the Acts of the Apostles.

Israel in Acts

• Occurrences of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel –ite, Hebrew(s), Jew(s) –ish

• Acts 1-7: 35• Acts 8-14: 29 • Acts 15-21: 39• Acts 22-28: 31• Israel , the Jews, dominate the Acts of the Apostles• Jerusalem: 66 references in the 4 Gospels, 61 in Acts• All missionaries were Jews; so were the leaders• Not only that ….

The following letters were written to Israel at that time

• Hebrews• James• 1 & 2 Peter• 1 & 2 & 3 John• Jude• Revelation

And during Acts these letters were written to JEWISH and Gentile Christians

• Galatians• 1 and 2 Thessalonians• 1 & 2 Corinthians• Romans• Thus there is no way that the Judgment of

Isaiah 6 fell upon Israel during this period of time. In fact they were still God’s people.

During the Acts Period:

• Romans 1:16• Romans 2:9• Romans 2:10• Romans 3:1-2• Romans 9:4-5• Romans 11:1: Did God reject His people Israel?• So what was happening at that time?

Israel were ‘partly blind’?

• Romans 11:25• I do not want you to be ignorant of this

mystery [secret], brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

• And what would happen then?• Full salvation (v 26) or ..….. A bitter olive?

Romans 11

• V 11: Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

• V 13-14: I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.

• And note ...

Romans 11

• See also Romans 10:19: Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."

• Quote from Deut 32:21:They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.

An example• Acts 13:44-46 – Antioch in Syria• On the next Sabbath almost the whole city

gathered to hear the word of the Lord. • When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled

with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

• Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 6 in Romans• Romans 11:7-8• What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it

did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.”

• A compilation of Isaiah 6:9-10; 29:10; & Deuteronomy 11:7-8

The Olive Tree in Romans 11• Romans 11:11-23 (read)• Natural branches cut off• Wild branches grafted in• Natural branches could be grafted back (v 23)• But were they?• And this would go on until (v 23) “until the full

number of Gentiles has come in”• Plump, plentiful fruit from the natural olive or • ... Stony, bitter wild olives?

The Last Occurrence of Isaiah 6• This shows Israel could not have been rejected

up to this time.• Acts 28:17-28 (read)• V 17 The leaders of the Jews• V 23 The meeting – some agreed some did not• Vs 26-27: Isaiah 6• Vs 28: The judgment• What happened?

What was happening in Jerusalem?

• Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews: 20,19,1• The high priest, Ananus the Younger, a

Sadducee ..• Assembled the Sanhedrin of the judges and

brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James and some others;

• and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned.

So what happened?• Paul wrote seven more letters• Ephesians• Philippians• Colossians• 1 & 2 Timothy• Titus• Philemon• Written to Christians and are some of the

easiest to understand.

So what happened?

• From the historical point of view• It seems to stoning of James and company

annoyed the Romans and started what would end in AD70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the scattering of Israel throughout the Roman Empire.

• Just as Deuteronomy 28 and Isaiah 6 stated but ….

Was that judgment the end of Israel in God’s plan?

• The very fact that it is a judgment fulfilling Isaiah 6 shows that that cannot be the situation. What was it Isaiah asked?

• V 11: "For how long, O Lord?" • And what did the Lord answer?• Vs 11-12 "Until the cities lie ruined

and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,

until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.”

So how long did this exile last for?

• 70 years ... like Judah in Babylon?• 200+ years ... like Israel in Assyria?• 2000 or more years?• So far over 1940.• But ……

But is Israel back in the driving seat?

• Is Israel the number 1 nation today?• Ephesians 3:6• This mystery (secret) is that through the

gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

• Equal hears; equal members; equal sharers.

But one day …

• All that could change … • No!• All that will change … • Yes! • All that must change• Why?

But one day …

• All that must change• If God is to fulfil His promises. • No!• As God must fulfil His promises• When will that be?