But there is more yet:
But there is more yet:
And provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)
Notice that the blessings are for those who grieve in Zion. We are not content with the state of the Christian churches. I am hearing on many sides the disgust with the present immaturity of the churches. Are you aware of this discontent?
A crown of beauty instead of ashes,
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
A garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
We cannot serve very well as God's priests if we are dwelling in ashes; mourning; and despair. Numerous Christian people are in such a condition today. We have to be healed ourselves before we can help others.
Our healing will take place now, if we will be faithful in serving Christ; if we will confess the areas of spiritual darkness that are in us, and renounce them with vigor.
It does take faith to lead a victorious life in Christ. God will give us such faith if we will keep on asking Him.
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." This is not true for many of us today. We are not oaks of righteousness. We have been taught that we are "saved by grace" and there is no real need for righteous behavior.
We are righteous in name only. What a mammoth lie this is? How can we serve the peoples of the earth with our imputed righteousness?
The Lord Jesus did not say people would see our imputed righteousness and glorify God as a result. What a deception the churches are living in today!
Today is the time in which we are to become oaks of righteous behavior. This is necessary because we are to shepherd, through Christ, the meek of the people of the nations. We are to govern with the rod of iron righteousness. The people of the nations will not glorify God if we ourselves are spiritually immature.
We Christians pass through many waters, so to speak, problems, afflictions, and chastenings of various kinds. The purpose of the many afflictions of the righteous is to prepare us to rule the nations with the Lord Jesus, bringing justice and deliverance to them. They are the inheritance of the Lord Jesus, and we are coheirs with Him.
I think it is obvious that we cannot display God's splendor when the only righteousness we have is that which has been imputed to us. Imputed righteousness cannot be seen. People need to see our good works before they will glorify God—at least that is what Jesus taught us.
Now we come to the actual work of the members of the ruling priesthood. Remember, this work will take place on the present earth, during the thousand years from the appearing of Christ to the final resurrection of the dead. Then the new Jerusalem will come down through the new sky to be installed for eternity upon the new earth.
The new Jerusalem is the glorified Christian Church. It is the home of the elect, of those called out from mankind to be a Royal Priesthood, the true and eternal Israel of God. They compose the "Tabernacle of God," the Throne of God and of the Lamb.
But as to the present earth and the thousand-year Kingdom Age:
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:4)
("They" are the ruling priests.
It is my point of view is that the rule of Antichrist, although the people have been blinded until they are claiming all is safe and peaceful, will result in ruins and devastation. The government of self-guided people always produces chaos, as we see today in our world.
Our present government in the United States no longer is giving glory to God. The result is a declining status in the world, severe financial problems, and natural disasters. Yet no one seems to be asking God's help. So we are getting what we deserve.
The antichrist spirit is that of the rule of self. The rule of self results in corruption and destruction of every sort. Our natural mind is an enemy of God. We need the mind of Christ!
So when Jesus returns with His saints there will be places long devastated, ruined cities that have been destroyed for generations. The role of the Christians will be to rebuild the ruins; restore the devastation; and renew the ruined cities.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. (Isaiah 61:5)
According to the Scriptures, at least some of the members of the priesthood will have flocks of sheep, as well as fields and vineyards. This is quite a different picture from that of reclining on our mansion in Heaven, isn't it?
I do not believe all of the governing priests will be farmers. There will be every sort of profession and enterprise, according to my understanding. The point is, and we see this in other places in the Scriptures, the saved peoples of the nations will help us with the necessary work.
And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (Isaiah 61:6)
The concept is that the Church, the people God has called out of the world, will be as the least of the groups of mankind, sometimes suffering every sort of deprivation and humiliation. But when God has enough saints who have persevered with the Spirit of God until Christ has been formed in them, Christ will return with His army of obedient holy ones, and the army of angels who obey God, and cleanse the earth of lawlessness.
Then the roles will be reversed. It will be the saints of the Lord who will enjoy the riches of the world. But because Christ has been formed in them, they will not be proud, disdaining the poor. Rather they will bring justice and compassion so that the poorest of people will have their needs met.
The Kingdom of God that is coming to the earth is not an ecclesiastical hierarchy. It is composed of ordinary people in whom Christ is living and acting. Thus the new rulers will govern in justice and compassion.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6,7)
Aren't you glad that Christ has saved you so you can work with Him in bringing justice and righteousness to the suffering millions of people on the earth? Think of what it will be to them to be taken care of adequately. Isn't this better than reclining on a sofa in a mansion in Paradise?
It suits me better!
Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. (Isaiah 61:7)
Instead of being a downtrodden despised people, the true Israel of God, by this I mean those whom Christ has called and who keep His commands, will be raised to respect and prosperity. They shall have abundance. They shall be joyful in the Presence of their King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
"For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them." (Isaiah 61:8)
If I am not mistaken, there have been numerous instances of injustice perpetrated by religious leaders. Have cathedrals been built on the backs of the poor? Have some of the Christian prelates insured that they have wealth and position while their congregations live on the brink of poverty?
Just because extortion has been justified because it involves religious work of some kind, does not make it holy. God hates it. God loves the poor and has given them His Kingdom.
God is faithful. The poor who have been true to Him shall be rewarded. Indeed, God is making an everlasting covenant with them. It is the new covenant, that replaces the Law of Moses. It is the forming of Christ in us such that the eternal Word of God is written in our mind and heart.
How good it is to walk with Christ and have Him guide and strengthen us so we do not sin against God.
I notice in Christians who are seeking to go back under the Law of Moses that they have the words but not the music, so to speak.
Return to the Torah if you will. But please do not ask me to leave Christ. I want to walk and talk with the Author, as Enoch did.
It reminds me of Ruth, the Moabitess.
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. (Deuteronomy 23:3)
Yet Ruth was the mother of Obed who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David. In other words, the Law of God is interpreted and applied as we look to the Author.
Under the Law of Moses we consult the written Word. Under the new covenant we walk with the Author and ask Him to guide and help us. How infinitely much better!
A friend in Israel is telling me that Christian Jews who hold on to the Torah eventually leave Christ. From what I have seen I can understand that happening.
Some of the Jews were angry because Christ healed on the Sabbath. This tells me that while they knew the Torah, they certainly were out of touch with the God of Heaven. They would prefer to have the person die rather than to be healed on the Sabbath Day. Such is the blindness that can afflict an individual who is married to the Torah.
So a new and everlasting covenant was needed, because the Israelites were missing the Heart of God.
"Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed."(Isaiah 61:9)
The descendants of the ruling priests will be recognized as such by the nations to whom they are ministering. It appears that during the Kingdom Age, and possibly throughout the new sky and earth reign of God and the Lamb, people will be born and grow up. Exactly how I do not know—perhaps in the manner to which we are accustomed.
People will be able to recognize that the blessing of the Lord is upon God's priests, and will treat them appropriately.
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
A bridegroom wears his turban and the bride displays her jewels. But the important garment is that of salvation, that is, the blessing of God.
Notice the expression: "arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness."
This could be interpreted as imputed or ascribed righteousness. But since the idea is that of a garment that someone can see, it certainly is not imputed righteousness.
But neither is it human righteousness. It is God's righteousness with which we shall be clothed.
But if it is not human righteousness, and not ascribed or imputed righteousness, what kind of righteousness is it?
It is the righteousness of the new covenant. We are arrayed with it more each day, as we obey the commands of Christ.
When we overcome a temptation by praying, we are fed in the spirit world with the body and blood of Christ. This nourishment gives us additional power and wisdom to overcome in the future. This is how the Word of God, which is Christ, is written in our mind and heart. The end result is righteous behavior, which is the righteousness of God with which we are covered.
If we should yield to temptation, then we must confess our sin to God and ask His help in turning away from it. We must do this fiercely and emphatically if we want the demons to leave.
Now we are forgiven and the Word of God is written upon our mind and heart. However, even though we have been forgiven completely and purified from all unrighteousness, there may be results of our sin that continue for a long time. God forgave David's incident with Bathsheba, but David had years of trouble after that.
Solomon, David's choice for king after him, was born from Bathsheba. But the iron of righteousness was lacking in Solomon, and he displeased God to the point that after his death, Israel was divided. Was this the result of David's sin with Bathsheba?
A believer may be convicted of smoking cigarettes. He may confess this sin against the Spirit of God, who owns his body, and with Christ's help quite smoking. He will be forgiven completely. But he may die from lung cancer.
God's attitude toward sin is revealed in the agonies suffered by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are arrayed in God's righteousness. But it is not merely an ascribed righteousness, but a genuine righteousness of behavior that comes from the body and blood of Christ.
For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. (Isaiah 61:11)
If we Christians ever understand that God has called us out from the world, is conforming us to the image of Christ, and is preparing us to bring righteousness and the praise of God to the nations of the earth, it will be the miracle of the age!
God loves the people of the world and has selected us to be of benefit to them.
But what do we do to the Gospel of the Kingdom? We change it into something to benefit us.
We think God has saved us so we can enjoy Paradise for eternity. He is going to rapture us out of the world so we will not be uncomfortable when Antichrist comes into power.
In my opinion, the teaching of the "rapture" of the believers to Heaven is the most selfish, self-centered doctrine imaginable. Let the world sink down into a cesspool of corruption. God loves us so much He has forgiven all our sins and wants us to be everlastingly happy no matter how we behave or what happens to the world.
But that is not what God has in mind. God is working with each of His elect so they can inherit, teach, govern, bless, heal, introduce to Christ, the people of the nations.
Which do you think is the better plan—God's or ours?
God is going to make righteous behavior and praise to Himself spring up in the sight of the nations. What will they then do? They will worship God. They will love and obey Him.
Such is our future, and I think it is many times better than the future we have concocted for ourselves.
How do you feel about this?
Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:3,4)
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3)