Isaiah Chapter 21

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin

Daniel 5:30-31
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

The city and nation of Babylon first rose to power in about 1830 B.C., but was nothing like it was in 539 B.C. This was fulfilled by in B.C. 539, by Cyrus the Great, a Persian king who, through Gobryas his general, lowered the river Euphrates by temporarily diverting it into irrigation channels and marched under the wall of the fortified city of Babylon on dry land, to suddenly storm the unsuspecting city and decisively destroy a people whose leaders the night before were drunk and who in the morning were no doubt still drunk and most certainly hung over.

Isaiah 21:1
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

• (v.9, Babylon) The fall of Babylon (desert of the sea) by the Medes and Persians is foretold before it even existed by roughly 200 years!
• A whirlwind is simply what they call out in the western part of the U.S., "Dust devils"
• It was/is located on a plain on the Euphrates
• Throughout Scripture, beginning to end, Babylon represents false religion, the occult, paganism
• Tower of Babel (Genesis), Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17-18)

Genesis 11:1-9
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Revelation 17:1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Isaiah 21:2
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

• Media/Persia (Elam) is going to destroy Babylon
• Persia did not even exist as a nation yet!

Isaiah 21:3-4
Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

• The Bible often speaks of the end times like birth pangs, starting, building, faster and faster
• The judgment of God is never a pretty sight to be enjoyed, in the flesh
• The best way to enjoy it is by thinking of the spiritual victory over the enemy, not to rejoice over people who die
• Enjoying the death of people is not even healthy
• This is the reason God will wipe away the tears from our eyes after the lost are judged and hell is cast into the lake of fire

Isaiah 28:21
For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Isaiah 21:5
Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

• This is a vision of the preparation for the decisive rout of Babylon
• This is the fulfillment of in Daniel 5
• This is sarcasm, since there is nothign that anything they do will help. TOday we say, "Knock yourself out!"

Isaiah 21:6
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

• It is time to monitor the battle
• There is no chance that of getting out of this; it is sure to happen
• The only thing to do now is watch and wait

Mark 13:35-37
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Isaiah 21:7
And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

• The messengers, in the distance approaching
• There is a total anticipation and expectation of news here, bad news

Isaiah 21:8
And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

• This is a day and night, determined, vigilant vigil, until it is over
• Rogue lions are dangerous, determined

Isaiah 21:9
And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

• Cyrus conquered, but did not destroy the images, but rather worshipped them
• This is therefore a double fulfillment, the future one being complete
• Messengers, riding horses with news, bad tidings
• They were at that night praising the gods of gold, silver, iron, etc.
• There were a lot more false gods they made idols of as well.
• Smashing, destroying idols is a way of taking their power away.

Daniel 5:4
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Isaiah 21:10
O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

• Harvest is the time of judgment, judgment here is the time of harvest
• They were apparently "white to harvest"

John 4:35
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Isaiah 21:11
The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

• Dumah is a symbolic word, (means silence, dumb) an Ishmaelite
• Mount Seir is in Edom (Esau) territory
• This is the silence before the storm, and the source of the storm
• He is asking when

Genesis 36:8
Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Genesis 25:13-14
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

1 Chronicles 1:29-31 These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.

Isaiah 21:12
The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

• Glory (moring light) for some will be darkness (night) for others
• It all depends on which side you are on in the judgment

Isaiah 21:13
The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

• Dedan is Arabia
• Dedanim is a change (insertion) in vowel points can mean evening
• Ishmaelites, Bedouins, this is their night, evening time, the end is near
• "Evening and morning were the first day" sins end is God's beginning
• Hebrew does not have vowels

Isaiah 21:14
The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

• Tema is from Ishmael as well
• They fed the fleeing peoples before they fled

Genesis 25:13-15 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

Isaiah 21:15
For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

• Pride is reversed into utter humility when under sever attack, as in a swift and decisive war.
• Judgment, swift and sever, is coming to Arabia.

Isaiah 21:16
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

• This is an undeniable, soon witnessed fulfillment to any man's eyes who knows of it

Isaiah 21:17
And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

Sargon, 176 B.C., same as the one who conquered Egypt and Ethiopia............fulfilled

The Attributes of God

1. Creator of everything (Genesis 1, 2):
   Revelation 21:1
   And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2. The I AM
   Exodus 3:14
   And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
   John 8:58
   Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

3. HOLY
   Leviticus 11:44
   For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
   1 Peter 1:16
   Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

4. Three persons
   Isaiah 11:1-3
   And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
   Revelation 22:16
   I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
   Matthew 28:19
   Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
   John 14:26
   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

5. A Spirit
   John 4:24
   God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

6. Omniscient
   1 John 3:20
   For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

7. Omnipotent
   Matthew 19:26
   But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

8. Omnipresent
   Psalms 139:7
   Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
   Proverbs 15:3
   The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
9. The Resurrection and the Life
   John 11:25
   Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

10. The Way, the Truth, the Life
    John 14:6
    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

11. Light
    John 1:4
    In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
    John 1:9
    That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
    1 John 1:5
    This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

12. Sovereign
    Psalms 115:3
    But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
    Ephesians 1:11
    In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

13. One God
    Deuteronomy 6:4
    Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

    Malachi 2:10
    Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
    Mark 12:32
    And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

14. Our Father
    Matthew 6:9
    After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
    Malachi 2:10
    Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

15. God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
    Exodus 3:6
    Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
    Matthew 22:32
    I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Genesis 31:53
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
16. Judge of Mankind
    Isaiah 33:22
    For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
    1 Peter 4:5
    Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

17. King of Kings
1 Timothy 6:15
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
18. LORD of lords
Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
1 Timothy 6:15
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
19. Lawgiver
Isaiah 33:22
For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
Ezra 7:12
Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
20. Kinsman Redeemer
    Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

21. Our Brother
    Hebrews 2:11-12
    For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

22. Eternal/Everlasting (both)
    Deuteronomy 33:27
    The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
    Isaiah 43:10
    Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
    Genesis 21:33
    And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
    Isaiah 40:28
    Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
    Romans 16:26
    But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment ofthe everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

23. Sustainer of all things
    Colossians 1:17
    And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

24. Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and the End
    Isaiah 41:4
    Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first,and with the last; I am he.
    Isaiah 44:6
    Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
    Isaiah 48:12
    Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

25. Immutable: The same yesterday, today and forever
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
26. The Living God of the Living
    Matthew 22:32
    I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

27. The Son
    John 8:58
    Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

28. The Holy Spirit
    Acts 5:3-4
    But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keepback part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

What to Read?

Read What?

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Amos 8:11
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

One of the biggest problems in Christianity in America today is "the reading of many books", while at the exact same time having a "famine of the Word of God". Another problem is the prolific nature of those who also write many books, become famous and are considered somehow so much more important and enlightened than the rest of the body of Christ. Yet another problem is using these books to replace the reading of the only Book given to us directly by God, which we claim is the Final Word and Authority on all matters of faith and practice. One of the commands in the Bible, before Jesus left this earth, is:

Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Discipleship is now a lost and dying practice today, because you cannot make disciples of people and teach them what Jesus said unless you know what Jesus said. And you cannot know what Jesus said without His very own Words He left us with. If your Bible is all sufficient, then it is all you need to know what God expects; it is your manual for life. It is also a baton to be passed down to disciples. If you cannot teach from it in small groups, bible studies, discipleship, children's ministry, then you do not know it. If you do not know it, why is that? If you need other books by other authors as guidelines in order to teach, then it should be as merely a bullet pointed guide, not a book containing the actual text from men to disciple with. When discipling, the guide really just needs to be the Bible; otherwise the Bible is apparently not good and sufficient enough, like it claims to be.

1 Timothy 3:2
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

2 Timothy 2:24
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

APT, a. [L. aptus, from apto, to fit. Gr. to tie.]

1. Fit; suitable; as, he used very apt metaphors.
2. Having a tendency; liable; used of things; as, wheat on moist land is apt to blast or be winter-killed.
3. Inclined; disposed customarily; used of persons; as, men are too apt to slander others.
4. Ready; quick; used of the mental powers; as, a pupil apt to learn; an opt wit.
5. Qualified; fit.
6. All the men of might, strong and apt for war. 2 Ki 24.
7. APT, v.t. To fit; to suit or adapt. Obs.

Throughout Scripture, God asks us to use His Word by:

• Reading it
• Consulting/Searching it for answers
• Studying it
• Memorizing it
• Discipling from it

He never said to learn more about Him by reading all sorts of books outside of Scripture to get "clarity" or "wisdom". Not even once. Above all else, this Book is to be considered foremost. Today, this is so neglected that we have people saved for a decade who do not know how to find any book of the Bible, do not know what the nation of Israel is, do not believe Genesis as it is written plainly, do not understand salvation and sanctification, how to rightly divide it, how to live the Christian life according to it, because they get their doctrines from men and not from God.

God Himself places His Word above His Name:

Psalms 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

We seem too often to want to relegate it into the corner while we consult fallible men.

We in our society and Christian culture hold in very high esteem authors of books. They build mega-churches, go on book tours, hold seminars and conventions, go on radio, TV and internet, as though one should listen to them as some sort of a final authority-then do not read the Word of God. which is a problem of neglect. Imagine listening to man and not God and calling that "God's Will". Who in Scripture ever benefited from that? Start with Adam and work forward to the anti-Christ. This is a hundred percent proven to be sickening or fatal, spiritually.

Genesis 3:17
"And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;"

The result of Adam's one simple, single error of not listening to His Word and listening to his wife instead is death entering the world, then to now. Pretty severe!

Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

2 Chronicles 15:3
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

Sound familiar? Same situation in American today. People want and cannot get the Word of God in other countries, or die trying to either get it or use it. We have several in our homes, and they are opened, "for church". Opened......not studied, searched, taught, memorized or used for discipleship. But we read, write and buy "Christian books", go to seminars, listen to sermons, consult experts for help, and ignore God's Word. God help us.

It was not reading, believing, knowing and teaching the Word of God to themselves and others that led the disciples to not knowing the Messiah would die for the sins of Israel and all of mankind when Jesus rose from the dead and communed with them:

Luke 24:25
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

Why did they not know? It was in the Word of God. Jesus did not ask, "Didn't you read Joe Blow's latest bestseller, 'What Will Happen to Jesus of Nazareth?'" How would they know what the prophets have spoken without reading the book God gave them? Now, admittedly, they could have read it and simply missed or did not use the eyes of faith, but what about us who did not read it or, today, those who do not read it, but instead read other things, eating up books ($$$$) of famous authors and lauding their works, when God did the ultimate written work of all time? About the only books a Christian needs to read today outside of the Word of God are:

• Books on ancient history, regarding the Gentile and World History (while reading Daniel)
• Books on archaeology which support Scripture (while reading Daniel)
• Books on Young Earth Creation Science, precisely because we live in a society that believes in the lie of Darwinism (coupled with reading the Genesis account and placing it above anything else)
• Articles on current events specifically, Israel in these last days. Yes, keep up with current events as they relate to last days and Scripture!
• This all should not even come close to the amount of reading OF the Word of God

These book support the Word of God and do not teach doctrine. Our doctrine should come from the Word of God, not from Christian books.

Tell you what. Instead of spending the money on the seminar of the author who seemingly wrote about the Word of God, save your money, buy a Bible and send it to someone who has none, overseas. We have more than one or two in our own homes, un-cracked, on shelves. And we buy "Christian books". Sound right to you? Next time your small group or church wants to have that famous Christian author come and speak and sell books, save that money and have a church-wide, out loud reading of the Word for an hour or a day, and send the Word of God overseas.

Revelation 1:16
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Genesis starts off with the Word of God rejected...now think about Revelation. Nothing different there, either. The whole world rejects it and will follow the dragon, the beast and the false prophet.

2 Kings 22:1-20
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying, Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house, Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully. And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thyservants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.

And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Again, the revival came from reading God's Word, not "Jewish books", which today we have as "Christian books". Before this, the wrath was upon them. After finding, dusting off and reading it, they repented, and were blessed.

You might ask, what is wrong with reading or writing more books? I might ask back, do we need to? Really? Is the Bible so irrelevant, mysterious, untrustworthy, unreliable, incomplete that we need to read or write something ABOUT it and not READ IT? Ask yourself what the people in the Bible did in both cases. When they had and read the Word of God-REVIVAL! When they abandoned it- APOSTASY and a CURSE!

God devoted an entire Psalm (119) to His Word. David revered it. Today, we take it off of the shelf and dust it off and carry it to church. We let someone else talk about it for an hour, not reading it aloud together, and they may cover one or two verses. Hardly meat.

THE CONSUMMATE EXAMPLE: SAUL (1 SAMUEL)

• When his fathers asses were lost, and they searched in vain, his servant recommended seeing the man of God for direction(9:6)
• Samuel offered to show Saul the word of God (9:27)
• The Word of the LORD through Samuel commanded Saul to meet him in Gilgal to sacrifice (10:8)
• Samuel wrote the entire account IN A BOOK for us to read today(10:25)
• Samuel rehashed their history, learned from the Scriptures, including conditions for either heeding God's Word or rejecting it (12:6-15)
• Saul rejected the Word of the LORD regarding Gilgal (13:8-10)
• In turn, God rejected Saul as an eternal king (13:13-14)
• Saul made his own commandment (14:24)
• Jonathan his own son was the only person who violated that commandment (14:27)
• Saul spared him because of the words of men (14:45)
• God gave Saul yet another commandment, the Word of the LORD through Samuel (15:3)
• Saul failed to obey this commandment also (15:8-9)
• God removed his earthly reign now as well, for rejecting the Word of God (15:23)
• This disobedience was compared to idolatry, witchcraft (15:23)

Ecclesiastes 12:12
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

He is not talking about the word of God here, as the Word of God is the King of all books and does not promote or even allow "weariness of the flesh", nor confusion, nor apostasy, nor unbelief. Neglecting and rejecting it does. Reading it causes hope, conviction and salvation, encouragement, healing, blessing, and much more.

Luke 16:29
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

"Moses and the prophets" is Scripture....Jesus is telling the dead man in hell that they are enough to save anyone, including this man's five brethren.

John 21:25
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

John is not recommending the writing of more books, either. Just that the life of Jesus was so filled that many more books could have been written as eyewitness accounts and added to the Canon. They were not, because God wrote down only that which HE decided we needed to know.

Acts 19:19
Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

"Spiritual" books, meaning occultic, pagan books-not one of them Scripture, burned. The Bible has been burned many times, but always resurrects stronger many days later. This amount of pieces of silver is a lot of money (over twenty million dollars today) to burn, but when God's Word flows through, that all becomes irrelevant.

John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

The reason everyone missed the boat was a lack of true knowledge of what God's Word says about the Messiah. The Jews did not lack the Scriptures-their own people wrote 99% of them and their own scribes coped them!

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

There is that command again, to study the Word of God (the word of truth).

2 Timothy 4:13
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

Certainly this same Paul who wrote so many of the epistles which became our Scriptures was not referring to anything else than the Word of God. Previously, in the same set of sentences, he told them:

2 Timothy 4:2-3
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

• Preach the Word
• Be ready to give answers
• Be ready to reprove
• Be ready to rebuke
• Be ready to exhort
• Do it with patience and DOCTRINE (from the Word)
• The apostasy is coming when the Word is rejected

Last Days Indications

MATTHEW 24

·       Verse 2 literally fulfilled 70 A.D.

·       Verse 3 is three separate time questions (destruction of temple, Second Coming, End of World)

·       Verse 4, caution, people WILL be deceived; do not be among them

·       Verse 5 In our lifetime, being experienced currently

·       Verse 6, Still threats of war, especially Israel/Arabs

·       Verse 7, Currently globally, increasing, earthquakes should be decreasing

·       Verse 8 The tribulation is the real sorrows, the precursors are really just the start

·       Verse 9 Fulfilled in apostles times

·       Verse 10 Christianity offends, always has

·       Verse 11 False prophets, teachers, doctrines, apostasy (Laodicea) today

·       Verse 12 perfectly describes today, which is why love separates us out.

·       Verse 13 the “he that shall endure” is obviously all believers

·       Verse 14 Never fulfilled yet, so during the Great Tribulation

·       Verse 15 Anti-Christ repeats Antiochus Epiphanes abomination in THE TEMPLE(obviously rebuilt then)

·       Verses 16-22, The Great Tribulation, last 3.5 years (Daniel 9:24-27)

·       Verses 23-24, warnings against following false Christs., increases in false miracles, occult practices today

·       Verse 25………consider yourself warned…..

·       Verse 26 is an admonition that some will make false claims about the Christ being on earth (secretly)

·       Verse 27, 28, Second Coming, and death and destruction of the anti-Christ’s kingdom so obvious that all will know and see it, making it meaningless to tell anyone that Jesus Christ has arrived

·       Verse 29-31, signs in the heavens during Tribulation, marking the return of Christ, then the return itself

·       32-35……..ISRAEL…………..and God’s faithful preservation of Scripture

·       Verse 36 The Rapture, “no man knoweth” as opposed to Daniel 9:24-27, Revelation

·       Verses 37-39, days of Noah, business as usual, must accept Flood account to accept future (2 Peter 3:3-7)

·       Verses 40-42, the Rapture, obviously, (one taken one left, unknown time)

·       Verses 43-44, repeats one cannot determine the Rapture, with a repeat admonition to get saved

·       Verses 45-47, the Good Servant knows that he cannot know the time, but is prepared nonetheless at any time, expecting the arrival

·       Verses 48-51, the unprepared bad servant knows that he cannot know, but does not care, and will be judged for it

Matthew 24:1

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Matthew 24:2

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Matthew 24:3

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Matthew 24:4

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Matthew 24:5

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:6

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 24:7

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Matthew 24:8

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Matthew 24:9

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Matthew 24:10

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Matthew 24:11

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:12

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 24:13

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matthew 24:15

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Matthew 24:16

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Matthew 24:17

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Matthew 24:18

 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

Matthew 24:19

And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

Matthew 24:20

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Matthew 24:21

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 24:22

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Matthew 24:23

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

Matthew 24:24

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Matthew 24:25

Behold, I have told you before.

Matthew 24:26

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Matthew 24:27

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:28

For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Matthew 24:29

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Matthew 24:30

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:31

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24:32

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

Matthew 24:33

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Matthew 24:34

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Matthew 24:36

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24:37

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:38

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

Matthew 24:39

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:40

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Matthew 24:41

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Matthew 24:42

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:43

But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Matthew 24:44

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 24:45

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Matthew 24:46

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Matthew 24:47

Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Matthew 24:48

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

Matthew 24:49

And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Matthew 24:50

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Matthew 24:51

And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

LUKE 21

Luke 21:5

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

Luke 21:6

As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Luke 21:7

And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

Luke 21:8

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

Luke 21:9

But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

Luke 21:10

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

Luke 21:11

And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Luke 21:12

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

Luke 21:13

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

Luke 21:14

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

Luke 21:15

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Luke 21:16

And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

Luke 21:17

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

Luke 21:18

But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

Luke 21:19

In your patience possess ye your souls.

Luke 21:20

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Luke 21:21

Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

Luke 21:22

For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Luke 21:23

But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

Luke 21:24

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Luke 21:25

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luke 21:26

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luke 21:27

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luke 21:28

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Luke 21:29

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

Luke 21:30

When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

Luke 21:31

So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Luke 21:32

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

Luke 21:33

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 21:34

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Luke 21:35

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Luke 21:36

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Luke 21:37

And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

Luke 21:38

And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

1 CORINTHIANS 15

1 Corinthians 15:51

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1 Corinthians 15:52

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 THESSALONIANS 4

·       Verse 13 We are to know, as Paul has told us

·       Verse 14 Because Jesus Christ was resurrected, so now will we be (establishment of fact)

·       Verse 14 The Resurrected, Raptured return at Second Coming

·       Verse 15 The dead are raised first, then us, to get glorified bodies

·       Verse 16 It will happen with a little audible fanfare

·       Verse 17 Rapture is NOT Second Coming, as this is in the air, not to Mt. Olivet

·       Verse 18 It is of no comfort (and nothing to “comfort one another” with) if Christians are going through the Great Tribulation!

1 Thessalonians 4:13

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:15

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Thessalonians 4:17

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:18

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 THESSALONIANS 5

·       Verse 2 This contrasts completely with the Second Coming, which is very public, visible, on cue

·       No one at the end of the Great Tribulation is saying “Peace and Safety”!

1 Thessalonians 5:2

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:3

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.