“He turned upon them their own violence, and with their own evil He will cut them off, HaShem, our Elohim, will cut them off.” Psalms 94:23
As the world spins into deeper madness around us by the minute it seems, HaShem put it on me that I need to post something of encouragement, because, trust me folks, we haven’t seen anything yet with regards to how bad things are going to get and we are going to need His Word to fall back upon to get us through these appointed times! Why do I say these are appointed times? Because I firmly believe we are on the cusp of the Birth Pains of Messiah!
Consider the following excerpt from the Mishnah, Tractate 9:15 which says concerning the ancient Sages understanding of the state of the world just before Messiah shows up: “When the Temple was destroyed, the haverim (Torah Sages) and noblemen were shamed and covered their heads, and men of deeds were enfeebled, and men of arm and men of the tongue prevailed (Violent and slanderous people), and nobody examines and nobody intercedes, and nobody inquires. Upon whom can we rely? Upon our Father in Heaven. Rabbi Eliezer the Great says, ‘Since the day the Temple was destroyed, the Torah scholars became like school teachers, the the school teachers like common people, and the common people grew ever more feeble, and no one intercedes; upon whom can we rely? Upon our Father in Heaven. WITH THE FOOTSTEPS OF MESSIAH (An idiom to mean just before the end and the arrival of Messiah) insolence will increase and expensiveness will soar, the vine will yield its fruit but the wine will be costly; and the government will turn to heresy and there will be no rebuke; the House of Meeting will serve immorality (Places of worship will harbor prostitution, due to there being no Torah study i.e. Christendom!) and Galilee will be destroyed and Gavlan will be desolate; and the frontier people will wander about from city to city and not be pitied and the wisdom of the scholars will degenerate, and those who fear sin will be despised, AND TRUTH WILL BE ABSENT. Young men will humble elders, elders will rise before youngsters (Authority will be in the hands of impudent youngsters): ‘A son will revile his father, a daughter will rise against her mother, a daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies will be the members of his household’ quoting Micah 7:6. The face of the generation (The generation of the end) will be like the face of a hound (an idiom to mean ferocity and impudence, brazenness, shameless), a son will not be ashamed before his father (All sense of propriety, morals and decency will disappear), so upon whom must we rely? Upon our Father in Heaven, that He might redeem us soon and send us our righteous Messiah!'”
Does this not describe our current culture we live in today? Is truth not only condemned, shunned and ridiculed but also buried in favor of the agendas and lies? How fast can someone be triggered into furious anger over the most trivial issues? The rule of law means nothing now! Right is wrong and wrong is now right, the hallmark of Satanism.
I bring all of this up because we all are awaiting the coming of Messiah, and may it be SO very soon in our days! However, there is a ton of events which must come to pass before He can arrive and that is the part which can be demoralizing if we let it and we cannot let that happen! This Op, therefore, will focus on the state of the world AFTER Messiah has come back, sort of an attempt to give a glimpse of what we are striving towards. Part of the tools used to help soldiers on the battlefield keep going forward, to not get discouraged and give up, is to always keep your eye on the goal, never take your eye off what you are fighting for, much easier said than done!
But before we jump into this, always remember, now more than ever before, the following unchanging characteristics of HaShem:
- HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
- His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
- He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
- He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
- He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
- He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
- He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
- He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
- He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
- He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
- He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
- He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
- He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
- He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
- He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
- He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
- He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
- He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
- He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
- He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
- He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
- He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
- He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
- He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
- He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
- He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
- He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
This Op will focus on the prophecy of the Messianic Times as recorded in Yeshayah/Isaiah chapter 2! We will go verse by verse and explore significant events being discussed.
Yeshayah 2:1-2 says “The prophecy that Isaiah son of Amoz saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem: It WILL happen in the end of days: The mountain of the Temple of HaShem will be firmly established as the head of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it.” Here is more absolute proof the physical/literal Temple in Jerusalem WILL be rebuilt and by HaShem’s command, endorsement and support despite all that Replacement Theology Christendom teaches on the topic! All the korbonot/offerings WILL resume. Further, the Temple of HaShem, described here as a mountain, will be firmly established, meaning the whole world will recognize the authority of HaShem and His Temple as being His Throne here on earth! ALL the nations of the world WILL come to the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem to bring korbonot/offerings.
These two verses here prove the Temple of HaShem in the End of Days was NOT done away with nor will be built solely to be the domain of the False Messiah and it certainly is not something HaShem rejects or has rendered to be demonic or the domain of Satan as Replacement Theology Christendom commonly teaches!
Yeshayah 2:3 says “Many peoples will go and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the Mountain of HaShem, to the Temple of the Elohim of Ya’akov (Jacob), and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will the Torah come forth, and the Word of HaShem from Jerusalem.” The world will come to the Temple to learn!!! So again, we see the Temple of HaShem is a teaching tool to teach us the concept of kedushah (Holiness)! This is precisely why Paul likened the followers of Yeshua as being the Temple! It is NOT a literal statement, he is pointing to the Temple of HaShem, recognizing it is a teaching tool to teach us HOW to walk and serve HaShem! Unfortunately Replacement Theology Christendom has completely twisted up this concept and turned it into a replacement concept!
Notice also how the people, Gentiles included, come to the Temple of HaShem to learn how to walk in His ways and they will walk in His paths? This all points to the Torah of HaShem! Again destroys the argument that the Torah is meant ONLY for the Jews! Torah is for ALL of humanity, the basis for Yeshua’s command in the Apostolic Writings to go into all the world and be a light to the nations i.e. bring the Torah to the world so all may know HaShem, walk in His ways and be blessed!
The ‘Word of HaShem’ is an idiom to mean the Messiah of HaShem! This means Yeshua will be teaching the Torah from the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem!
Yeshayah 2:4 says “He (Messiah Yeshua) will judge among the nations, and will settle the arguments of many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift sword against nation and they will no longer study warfare.” Warfare will end under the leadership of Messiah!
Yeshayah 2:5 says “O House of Ya’akov (Jacob): Come, let us walk by the light of HaShem!” What is the ‘Light of HaShem?’ It is the Torah!! Come, let us walk by the Torah of HaShem! Consider what the commentary of this one verse says “In the previous verses, Isaiah has expounded on the glorious future when all the nations will flock to the service of HaShem. It will not come about through the efforts of the Jews who will leave their land to proselytize. Instead, Israel will be in Eretz Yisrael (The Land), and the Beit HaMikdash (The Temple) and its people will be at the zenith of holiness and service to HaShem. The people will achieve maximum attainable knowledge of HaShem and the Torah and their spiritual light will be so powerful that the nations will be drawn to it.”
The commentary goes on which asks the question, “According to the Talmud, Israel was exiled in order to gather sparks of holiness and bring non-Jews to the Torah. What would have happened to these sparks and potential converts if Israel had not sinned and been exiled? The answer is that if Israel had not fallen from its pedestal of holiness, they would have been like spiritual magnets, drawing seekers of holiness to the Land.” Again, the Torah is NOT just for Israel! Torah is for ALL of humanity which is precisely why I loathe Replacement Theology so much, because through its insidious doctrine, it is robbing people of having the blessings HaShem has in store for those who do strive to walk according to His Torah!
Yeshayah 2:6 says “For You have abandoned Your people, the House of Ya’akov, because they were filled with sorceries of the East and divinations, like the Philistines; and they content themselves with the children of foreigners.” This verse is explaining why HaShem exiled Israel, because of trading the Torah of HaShem for the sorceries and divinations of the Gentiles. To ‘content themselves with the children of foreigners’ is a metaphor for the modern, fashionable ides of the Gentiles. Israel traded the wisdom of HaShem and His Torah for modern heathen philosophies (Replacement Theology Christendom is a perfect example!).
Yeshayah 2:7 says “Its land became full of silver and gold, with no end to its treasuries; its land became full of horses, with no end to its chariots.” This verse summarizes that it was because Israel enjoyed great prosperity that they left the ways of the Torah which led them into idolatry. Do we not see this today in America?
Yeshayah 2:8 says “Then its land became full of false gods; each one of them bows to his own handiwork, to what his fingers have made.” Idolatry consumed the people! Another perfect picture of America today, especially this time of year i.e. November 2020, as America and Replacement Theology prepare for Christmas.
Yeshayah 2:9 says “Humankind will have bowed and man will have humbled himself; yet, You will not forgive them.” This is in reference to the time right after the Birth Pains when the armies of the world will launch one final assault against Jerusalem in an attempt to defeat Messiah Yeshua. Once they realize it is futile and they have put their hopes and trust in their false gods, gold and silver, etc, they will surrender. HaShem will exact retribution from all the nations for all the spiritual and physical havoc they wreaked upon Israel!
Yeshayah 2:10 says “Enter the rock and be hidden in the ground, because of the fear of HaShem, and from the glory of His greatness.” The nations of the world will so greatly fear HaShem they will say they should hide in the rocks in the ground to escape His judgment.
Yeshayah 2:11 says “Humankind’s haughty eyes will be brought low and men’s arrogance will be humbled; and HaShem alone will be exalted on that day.” On the Day of Judgment, all the world will finally recognize and know HaShem alone is Ruler of His Creation! The highlighted and underlined phrase in this verse is again pointing to a very specific day in the End i.e. the Day of HaShem, which will begin on a Rosh HaShannah and last 1,000 years in which the first seven years are the Birth Pains!
Yeshayah 2:12-16 says “For HaShem, Master of Legions, has a day for retribution against every proud and arrogant person and against every exalted person and he will be brought low; and against all the lofty and exalted cedars of Lebanon and against all the oaks of Bashan; and against all the lofty mountains and against all the exalted hills; and against every tall tower and against every fortified wall; and against all the ships of Tarshish and against all the splendid places.” His ‘Day of Retribution’ is the same as the Day of HaShem! Can you imagine all the corruption in the governments of the world will be exposed and destroyed. All the haughty, arrogant and wicked people and the false religious systems will be exposed and destroyed. There will be no place for these people to hide nor can they bribe HaShem to spare them!!
Can you imagine folks like Hillary Clinton and the like standing before Yeshua at that time and attempting to threaten Him into complying with her demands? Its no wonder we read about about Messiah Yeshua covered in blood stained garments in Yeshayah 63:1-6 as says He comes out from Edom (Esau/Rome/Replacement Theology Christendom) having destroyed them for their ruthless destruction of the Second Temple and subsequent bitter and merciless persecution of Israel throughout the current exile. I digress.
Yeshayah 2:17 says “He donned righteousness like armor and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He donned garments of vengeance as His attire and clothed Himself in zealousness like a coat.” Is it a coincidence this verse is recited on Rosh HaShanah? It is because the Day of Judgment/The Day of HaShem/The Day of Retribution will begin on a Rosh HaShanah and clearly HaShem is beyond angry!! The armor represents HaShem’s righteous salvation of Israel and His zealous revenge against His enemies. Each piece of armor represents some form of Divine manifestation at the time of the Final Redemption!
Yeshayah 2:18 says “Just like His earlier retributions, so shall He reciprocate wrath to His enemies, retribution to His adversaries; He will pay retribution to the islands.” Just as He meted out retribution to Pharaoh, Sennacherib and others of their ilk, so will He mete out retribution to the oppressor nations when He returns to Israel from its final exile!! This is one of the very important reasons why we must study and learn His Torah, because He reveals the end out of the beginning combined with the fact He is unchanging! What happened before WILL happen again! No wonder the Adversary has worked so hard to convince people to toss the Torah onto the dung pile of history and spit on the Temple as being replaced by the Replacement Theology Jesus, because doing so will separate people from HaShem!!!
Yeshayah 2:19 says “From the west people will fear the Name of HaShem, and from the east, rising of the sun, His glory; for travail will come like a river, the spirit of HaShem will gnaw at them.” The point of this verse is to show that HaShem WILL destroy our enemies once and for all, never to be heard from ever again throughout the rest of eternity! Baruch HaShem!! Tractate Sanhedrin 98a from the Talmud Bavli says very succinctly “If you saw a generation whose troubles inundate it like a river, await the coming of the Messiah!”
Yeshayah 2:20 says “A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those of Ya’akov who repent from willful sin, the Word of HaShem.” Those who repent i.e. return to HaShem and His Torah and forsake their willful sins will also be welcomed and enjoy the Final Redemption!
Yeshayah 2:21-22 says “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, said HaShem, My spirit which is upon you and My words that I have placed in your mouth will not be withdrawn from your mouth nor from the mouth of your offspring nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring, said HaShem, from this moment and forever.” HaShem is telling everyone that He WILL keep His covenant with Israel no matter how bitter the tribulations of exile and oppression! Again another nail in the coffin of Replacement Theology Christendom which teaches the covenant has been tossed out and replaced by a brand new covenant devoid of the Torah! I digress.
Additionally, HaShem is saying that even though Israel in the throes of exile may seem to be unworthy of redemption, but there is a Divine pledge that He WILL redeem Israel, not because of who we are, but solely because of Who He is and for His Great Name’s sake! This means again that His Torah is eternal!!
Finally, He is saying that this prophecy here in Yeshayah foretells that in the time of the Final Redemption all of Israel will not only repent, but the entire nation will reach such a high spiritual level that there will no longer be a desire to sin. When people recognize the truth with absolute clarity, sin will be inconceivable!!
I hope and pray you are encouraged by this!! It is very dark in the world today and it appears the corrupt, the wicked and the ruthless are ascending and succeeding, but HaShem promises He does this and allows them to fully come to fruition in order to then wipe them out of existence for all eternity!!
Keep your eyes on the goal i.e. the Final Redemption and the coming of Messiah Yeshua! And hold onto the promises of HaShem for it is the only way we will make it through the current times we live in!! May it be so very soon in our days!!!
Shalom
SOURCE MATERIALS
- The Milstein Edition The Prophets Yeshayah by Artscroll
- Steinsaltz Koren Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin