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TH1148: On-Line
Teaching Notes
Please open your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 23, as we continue our study through the Word of God. And as we will see, chapter 23 concludes our section of burdens or judgments that Isaiah was pronouncing against the pagan nations that surrounded Israel and Judah, (chapters 11-23).
Here in Isaiah chapter 23 the burden or judgment is against Tyre, which is one of two Phoenician city ports that were also strongholds. The other one, Tyre's sister city, was Sidon, located about 30 miles north of Tyre, and not as wealthy as Tyre. This area today is known as Lebanon.
Now the Phoenician's were a seafaring people and established settlements along the Mediterranean coast. No one could match the seafaring ability of the Phoenicians and thus they used this ability to do their commerce by sea, buying and selling and transporting goods. They traveled from the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt, Spain, Great Britain, and some even feel they may have traveled as far away as North America!
The city of Tyre, built along the Mediterranean coast, had a wall around it that extended into the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the only way you could get into the city was through their harbor. But since they had such a powerful navy, they were very secure. The original city of Tyre was on the mainland and then some 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile off shore was an island that had a temple on it so they could worship their gods.
Now the Babylonians, under the leadership of their king, Nebuchadnezzar, wanted to take this sea coast city, and it took him some 13 years to break down the walls of Tyre. And then, in 572 BC, as the walls came down, the Babylonians found that most of the people, and the city itself was moved to this island out in the Mediterranean Sea, some 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. As mad as Nebuchadnezzar was over this, he also realized that he could not out smart the Phoenicians in the sea, so he gave up.
And for the most part the city was left for a while until 322 BC when Alexander the Great, the head of the Grecian Empire, sought to take this city, which was now located off shore. He first tried an assault by sea, but he couldn't match up to the Phoenicians ability and changed his military tactics.
He then began to take the rocks, the timber, the pottery, and-so-on, all the ruins of the city of Tyre from the mainland, and he began to build a causeway out to the island. They even scraped the dirt from the city to build this causeway. And as his men completed this task, they were able to defeat the Phoenicians, destroy the city and leave it barren. Nothing was left!
In Ezekiel chapter 26 we are also told of the destruction of Tyre and how it would be a place for fisherman to dry their nets. As Archaeologists tried to locate this ancient city, they found this causeway and soon realized it was not a part of the natural landscape, that it was built by man. They found in this causeway some of the timber, broken pottery, and-so-on, that they used to build it. And as they looked at this island, they remembered what the Bible had said would be the fate of this city, and to their surprise, like the Bible said, the fishermen were drying their nets. They had indeed found the ancient city of Tyre, it was right before their eyes. With all that in mind, lets dig into Isaiah chapter 23.
ISAIAH 23
VERSE 1
1. As their navy was out, their city fell. And as they reached Cyprus, which was about 150 miles northwest of Tyre, they got the disturbing news. It was not a time to rejoice over the money, the profit they had made buying and selling goods from Egypt to Great Britain, it was a time to wail over their loss.
VERSES 2-3
1. Shihor means "black" and refers to the rich, fertile soil the Nile River would transport when it overflowed its banks. You see, Egypt was the "bread basket" of the Mediterranean. And the Phoenicians would go and pick up the grain from Egypt and transport it to areas all along the Mediterranean Sea, but now that was stopped, God is bringing judgment upon the people of Tyre.
VERSE 4
1. Sidon, the sister city of Tyre, should wail over the destruction that has taken place.
VERSE 5
1. Egypt depended upon Tyre for transporting their grain, but now that was not going to happen and the Egyptians would feel this in their pocket books, it would affect their way of life.
VERSES 6-9
1. The party is over for this ancient city. And the reason is their pride, their self-sufficient attitude. And the judgment is from God, He has brought this upon them to destroy their prideful hearts. Pride caused their fall! Proverbs 6:16-19 says "These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren." Pretty broad list when you think about it, and God HATES these things! And God does hold our lives in His hand, and as Paul said, may we not only realize that fact, but apply it to our lives. He said that God "...gives to all life, breath, and all things." Acts 17:25. In understanding that all we have comes from God, it doesn't leave to much room for pride to grow in us!
VERSES 10-12
1. The people of Tarshish are no longer under any constraint to pay tribute, or customs or duties to Tyre, for they have been taken down by God. And for those that thought they escaped, think again. Even in Cyprus, where some had fled to, they will not find rest.
VERSE 13
1. At the time Isaiah wrote this, the Babylonians were no threat to anyone. In fact, the Assyrians, who were the world power at this time, attacked and defeated the Babylonians at this time. But they will rise up and become a world power, and they will destroy the city of Tyre, the mainland city.
VERSES 14-15
1. As we have talked about the city of Tyre, the mainland, it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 572 BC, and for 70 years they were not much of a threat to anyone, rebuilding their city offshore. And even after those 70 years, Tyre and its people never attained the power it once had. And now this city, located on an island, was going to be destroyed in 332 BC by the armies of Alexander the Great.
VERSES 16-18
1. God will restore them to trading once again, but not to the level they once had and enjoyed. And yet that profit will amount to nothing, it will not go to them, but the indication here is it will go to the Lord. How did that happen? We are not sure. Possibly by God removing it from them by the hand of Alexander the Great in 332 BC!
2. Now as we move into chapters 24-26 we are going to move from the tribulation period, into the great tribulation, which gives birth to the millennial reign of Christ. And the progression follows the Jewish day, which begins at sunset, night and goes into sunrise or light! The tribulation period is a time of darkness that is dispelled by the light of Christ as He comes to set up His kingdom here on earth!
ISAIAH 24
VERSES 1-3
1. All walks of society, from the rich to the poor, from the kings to the slaves, will be affected by God's judgment that is being poured out upon a Christ rejecting world. No one will escape!
VERSES 4-5
1. Here we see the reason for the judgment that is coming upon them, the rejection of the true and living God, the rejection of Christ. You see, by their actions it shows where their heart is at. And they are not submitting to the Lord but rebelling against Him. Listen carefully to what Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-26. We read "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?'"
VERSE 6
1. Those who have rejected Christ have been placed in the balances of God and have come up short, and thus, judgment is coming. In fact, this judgment will be so intense that very few people will make it through the great tribulation period. Well over 1/2 of the earth's population will be destroyed, well over 3 billion people!
VERSES 7-9
1. No more party's, no more music, no more joy; judgment has come!
VERSE 10
1. The cities have been laid waste, and those that are trying to hide in their homes are terrified, there is no escape!
VERSES 11-13
1. The call is for wine to numb their pain, their suffering. The destruction of human life will be so intense that only a few will remain, like a tree after the fruit has been removed during the harvest season.
VERSES 14-15
1. This may be the remnant that turn to the Lord during the tribulation period.
VERSE 16
1. What Isaiah sees is both bitter and sweet. He sees the lives that are being destroyed, and he is overwhelmed. But he also sees the day when the righteous will rejoice, when righteousness will fill this land, and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth. You see, both bitter and sweet.
VERSES 17-18
1. As the windows of heaven are open in judgment, no one will escape. There will be no place to run, no place to hide.
VERSES 19-20
1. For those who think they can make it through the tribulation period, think again. The earth is going to be violently shaken and everything that can be shaken will be shaken. And I can't imagine why anyone would want to make it through this time, how horrible the judgments are going to be. And this earth, in its present state, will not rise again!
VERSE 21
1. Not only will the earthly kings be judged, but also the "exalted ones" or those demonic forces.
VERSE 22
1. Hell, many times in the Bible, is translated as the place in the center of the earth, and that is wrong! Actually hell is the outer darkness, Gehenna, the final resting place for all those who have rejected Jesus Christ. The pit, or Hades in the Greek, Sheol in Hebrew, is that holding tank for those that have rejected Christ until the trial, the great white throne judgment, when sentences are handed out, and they will be cast into outer darkness for eternity, which occurs after the millennial reign of Christ.
VERSE 23
1. Why will the light or the brilliance of the sun or moon be ashamed in the kingdom age? Because the light of God is so bright, His presence so awesome, that the sun and moon are pale in comparison to Him!
2. As we move from the darkness of the tribulation period, the blackness of the night of judgment, that blackness is dispelled by the light of Christ as He comes to set up His kingdom.
ISAIAH 25
VERSE 1
1. As God's Word comes to pass, as those things that He has promised are fulfilled, as His glory covers this earth, a song of praise breaks forth unto the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
VERSES 2-3
1. Those cities that have defied God will be brought down, they will be judged and will not rise again. Out of that judgment some will turn to the Lord, and praise and worship Him.
VERSE 4
1. In other words, it doesn't matter how big or strong the enemy may be, focus on the Lord and He will give your shelter from the storm.
VERSE 5
1. It doesn't matter how strong, how noisy they seem to be, God will remove the song from the wicked ones and bring them down.
VERSE 6
1. Just speaking of the abundance of things that God gives each of us. Wine is a symbol of joy, and that was not artificial joy that God gives to us. The Joy of the Lord is real!
VERSE 7
1. One day the veil will be lifted and we will see the Lord face-to-face. Paul, in I Corinthians 13:12 said, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." Also, in II Corinthians 3:18 Paul said, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
VERSE 8
1. What a precious promise, that God will wipe away every tear from our eye. We see this come to pass in Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." That day is coming and I can't wait for it.
VERSES 9-12
1. Moab, representing all those who have rejected the Lord, will be judged. We don't have to fear, we don't have to worry, for what God has said He is able to do and He will do! He will bring the prideful down and lift the humble up, entering into the kingdom age with Him. Imagine what that day will be like!
2. Now we move into a song that will be sung in the kingdom age.
ISAIAH 26
VERSES 1-2
1. During the kingdom age you won't have to worry about locking up your homes, closing the gates of the city to protect you and your family from the wicked. Righteousness will fill the land. In this country alone we spend billions, not millions, of dollars on the defense budget. Just think, one day we won't need to spend one penny for that.
VERSE 3
1. Notice one of the benefits when we have our minds focused upon the Lord. You will have peace! But understand this, you can never experience the peace of God until you first make peace with God through Jesus Christ. If we can focus upon the Lord, trust in Him, then we can boldly proclaim what Paul said in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
VERSE 4
1. That word "everlasting" can be translated "Rock of Ages". In other words, we have just seen that God is going to shake this earth, and everything that can be shaken will be shaken. What can't be shaken? Those that are standing upon the solid Rock, Jesus Christ!
VERSES 5-8
1. God will deal with the proud, the haughty, He will bring them down. We don't have to wait for their destruction, what we need to do is hope in the Lord, for our joy is coming. Too often we are building kingdoms on this earth when we should be looking towards the future when the Lord returns. It is as Hebrews 11:24-29 says, "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned."
VERSE 9
1. Sometimes it seem so dark, so evil, but don't lose hope. One day the darkness of night will be dispersed by the brightness of His coming.
VERSE 10
1. We are living in the age of grace, where God has given us an opportunity to receive His free gift of life in Christ. But not all will accept it, and one day God's judgment will come, and they will not escape.
VERSE 11
1. Because of their hardness, they refuse to see God's righteous arm of judgment, and for many, they will recognize it when it is too late, and their hearts are too hard.
VERSE 12
1. What is our responsibility in the area of salvation? RECEIVE IT! We can't earn it, work our way into it, be good enough to deserve it. All we can do is receive it, God has done the rest!
VERSE 13
1. He is speaking of the false gods that Israel and Judah began to worship instead of the true and living God.
VERSE 14
1. The reason it is foolish to worship these false gods is they are dead, they are not living, they have no power.
VERSES 15-18
1. Isaiah is just speaking of all the difficult times they have been through and how they expected them to bring in the kingdom age. And yet it brought forth nothing just like a women in labor and bringing forth nothing, it is like the wind, empty.
2. Many in the church today believe they can and need to establish God's kingdom here on earth and then He will return. And yet the Scriptures speak of the opposite. It is Christ who will return and set up His kingdom here on this earth and not us. For those that believe in this theology, also known as "Kingdom Now" or "Dominion Theology", all their efforts will produce nothing but air, emptiness!
VERSES 19-21
1. Some read this and see a picture of the rapture. I don't necessarily see that and I will tell you why. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:51-56, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?' The stingof death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." Notice, the rapture was a mystery or something that was hidden that has now been reveled. The Old Testament saints did not see the church, the rapture, they were mysteries that were reveled to us in the New Testament by God.
You see, the Scriptures are a progressive revelation, and much that was veiled in the Old Testament is brought to light in the New Testament for us.
Then what is Isaiah speaking of? I believe he is speaking of a future resurrection of Israel, but included in that resurrection is the church. You see, the Jews did believe in the resurrection of the righteous, and by the time we get to Daniel, we also see them speak of the resurrection of the unrighteous.
In the oldest book in the Bible, Job, written around 2000 BC, notice what Job says in chapter 19, verses 25-26. We read, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God." Job believed in the resurrection of these bodies.
So what is this speaking of here in Isaiah? The first resurrection, which began with Christ, continues through the church age, the tribulation period, and till the end of the millennial kingdom, when the righteous will be made to stand before God in their new bodies. You see, "Your dead shall live [O Lord]; the bodies of our dead [saints] shall rise." (The Amplified Bible).
2. We may also see an inference of those Jews who flee Jerusalem and go to Petra, as the antichrist comes against them during the great tribulation. And for a short time they are hid, for 3 1/2 years, until the indignation of God's wrath has been poured out, and God comes out of His place to pour out His wrath on a Christ rejecting world, which then leads us into the millennial reign of Christ.