Isaiah (~700BC) and Jeremiah (~600BC) were tasked by the Lord God to prophesy
Destruction for wickedness and Building the righteous kingdom
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity
They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged. Is 14
But even in the separation and destruction, God offers a way of escape:
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword.” Is 118,19
Therefore the Lord declares:
I will turn my hand against you ...
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD
shall be consumed. Is 124-28
So how can we ‘reason together’.
How can rebels become righteous?
How can sinners avoid being ‘broken’?
Almighty God reveals that it is not only possible, but he has prepared a way of faith that is ‘sure and certain’. (Heb 111)
While it is sure that the wicked will suffer certain judgment, it is equally certain that God’s righteous kingdom will be established.
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains. Is 22
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Is 211
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Is 23
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will ... swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. Is 256-10
The view on and from this mountain will be so beautiful.
It will far exceed even our best God-given dreams.
How will the Lord establish this great mountain?
1. Only the Lord Jesus can achieve this.
This truth is proved in the ‘statue dream’ he gave to Nebuchadnezzar.
As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. ... And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand. Dan 234,35, 44,45
2. The Lord, our Redeemer will return to his creation that has become so wicked that it refuses to heed any of the tribulation judgement warnings. The satanic ‘Beast’ and his ‘False Prophet’ described in Rev 13 will be allowed to rule the earth for 3½ years. They will finally attack Jerusalem. But the Lord will return to defend his people. God’s plan was revealed to the prophet Zechariah.
Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. Zech 141-3
The Lord will clearly defend his righteous people in Jerusalem and defeat the wicked attackers. But how can any man be made righteous? How can all his sins be forgiven? God reveals his plan for this too.
And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him. ... On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. Zech 129,10 131
Before the Son of God could come as King, he had to come as Redeemer. He came 2,000 years ago, was crucified, rose from the dead and then opened the cleansing fountain. But only a few availed themselves of this most gracious offer. The apostle John was shown how at the end, the prophecy of Zechariah will be fulfilled:
I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse. Rev 1919-21
Thus the Lord will fulfill his plan to establish his kingdom and will rule as king in Jerusalem. But this is not the end of the story because this kingdom is planned to continue for only 1,000 years. The Millennium, which ends when God releases the chained Satan from the Abyss. Then there is another battle. Satan is sent to hell for ever. He will never again afflict any of God’s creation. (Rev 20)
3. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth ... Gen 11 - 324 tells the story of God’s wonderful creation. But also of man being deceived by Satan. There followed 6,000 years when wicked men spoiled the earth. To establish his eternal and righteous kingdom, Almighty God then creates a new heaven and a new earth. This is the ‘great mountain’ that he has promised. He ensures that every trace of proud man’s empires are completely blown away.
Then God again creates:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Rev 211-5
The first two chapters of the Bible and the last two chapters reveal Almighty God as Creator. Today we are about to experience the prophesied Great Tribulation. So it would be wise to learn and remember what the faithful Lord God has promised concerning the Great Mountain; the righteous and eternal kingdom that he is going to share with all who believe in Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah reveals the same story of judgement, repentance and redemption:
Thus says the LORD:
“The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest, the LORD appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. ...
With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them walk by brooks of water,
In a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
“Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
and they shall languish no more. ...
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
“Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities,
when I restore their fortunes:
“‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!’ ...
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer 312-34
This city (Jerusalem) has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight because of all the evil of the children of Israel ... They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. ... Therefore it is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence. Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath ... I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever ... I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. ...
For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. Jer 3231-42
Almighty God promises an ‘everlasting covenant’ that cannot be broken, a kingdom that is both righteous and eternal, and life where there is no longer any temptation, we are free to express our gratitude to the King of Kings, and give the Lamb of God uninterrupted glory.
For 40 years Jeremiah prophesied the word of the Lord that the wickedness of idol worshipping Jerusalem would result in its destruction by Babylon. But he also proclaimed God’s promise to rebuild the city. And more, the city would fulfill his plan for it to become righteous.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD is our righteousness. For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. Jer 3314-16
And that ‘man’ is none other than Jesus Christ
the ‘Faithful and True’
the 'Word of God’
the 'King of kings and Lord of lords’.
(Rev 1911,13,16)