ISAIAH 65

ISAIAH 65

THE OVERCOMERS
THE NEW EARTH

It would seem logical that this chapter should follow closely behind the last chapter, in which the people who are trying to please the Lord are in a repentant mode and are calling on God for Mercy to be extended to them.

It seems that they have been doing the Will of God to a measure, but many things that they are doing and allowing are causing much pain and disgust to the same Lord they are serving. God cannot allow such a condition to continue, for He intends to make His People a Praise in the earth.

The spirit of MAN was too prominent in the lives of the believers, and the resultant attitude of pride and arrogance was creating a bad smell in the nostrils of the Lord.

We do not like to think of ourselves as being creators of such a stench, but when faced with reality, we are forced to admit that we fall far short of that which is pleasing to the Lord.

He represents COMPLETE HOLINESS, while we are a deplorable mixture of that which is EARTHY and that which is HOLY.

And that has not seemed to bother us, until----.

UNTIL, that is, we get serious about our condition and begin to ask God for help in our efforts to line our lives up with His Holy Word.

Many Christians ARE getting serious about the relationship that has existed between them and the Lord. The “call” to an OVERCOMING life is going out into the world of believers. Some are hearing the “call” while others pay no attention because they do not discern the stirring within the body of believers.

The first part of the chapter seems like a brief resume of historic activities of the Northern ten tribes in their idolatrous wanderings. It also seems to include the Southern people of Judah.

Judah has been exceedingly rebellious to the Lord, in that they have stubbornly refused to recognize Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as their Messiah.

God WILL NOT, however, forget nor neglect to fulfill His COVENANT PROMISE to Abraham of 4000 years ago. As the time of fulfillment approaches, He will apply tremendous Spiritual pressure to the Seed of Abraham in an effort to bring them into line with His intended purposes for their lives. How thankful we are for His Faithfulness!

Isa 65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

This verse brings to mind the phenomenon of furnishing the Ark of Noah with passengers for the yearlong voyage on the floodwaters. I believe the selection of the animals was the handiwork of the Lord, rather than Noah.

Isa 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day (over 2700 years to the ten tribes, and 2600 years to Judah and Benjamin) unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
Isa 65:3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; (brick was strictly forbidden as a means of worship to the God of Israel, because it represented the work and tools of mankind.)
Isa 65:4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; (God also had very strict rules about clean and unclean meats, etc. for the Israelites)
Isa 65:5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

Just as we humans are affected, emotionally, by what we smell, so the Lord is affected by what He smells.

PRIDE, whether of Race or of Religion, creates an exceptionally foul odor in the nostrils of the God of Heaven.

Isa 65:6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
Isa 65:7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains (IDOLATRY), and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

Look at what a mess the Church (The Israel of God) has gotten into as a result of depending on the wisdom and understanding of men, rather than trusting and obeying the Word of God.

Ø Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
Ø Isa 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
Ø Isa 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow (straw), and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them

Isa 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

As Abraham made intercession for Sodom, and God would not have destroyed it for ten righteous people, in like manner God will have Mercy on the children of Abraham for the relatively few “good grapes” (Overcomers) that are present in His Church today.

We human beings could become discouraged by what we see wrong in the Church, but it is not so with the Lord. He KNOWS WHAT HE WILL DO, and HOW HE WILL DO IT. He will do what is necessary to bring order out of the chaos. TRUST HIM!

Isa 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob (the natural seed), and out of Judah (the natural seed) an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect (chosen ones) shall inherit it, and my servants (Overcomers) shall dwell there.

Much of the next few verses is still a mystery to me because I do not have sufficient knowledge of history or the future, as the case may be

Isa 65:10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

There is an interesting bit of information about the Valley of Achor I will share with you, if I may. In the days of Joshua, a man name Achan disobeyed orders to not touch any of the spoils of battle, and sneaked a Babylonish garment and some other loot of battle into his tent and buried it under the floor. He thought no one would know about it, but either did not know or did not care, that God would see it. It cost Israel a terrible defeat in an important battle. When Joshua asked the Lord about the defeat, he was told about the disobedient soldier, Achan. The end result:

Ø Jos 7:23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
Ø Jos 7:24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
Ø Jos 7:25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
Ø Jos 7:26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor (TROUBLE), unto this day.

God, through the Prophet Hosea, made a statement which seems to fit the errant ten tribes of Israel. Hosea’s wife was typical of the ten tribes in more than one way. The Lord caused the Prophet to declare that after her whoredoms were finished she would return to the Lord. Here is what the Prophet said:

Ø Hos 2:13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me, saith the LORD.
Ø Hos 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
Ø Hos 2:15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the VALLEY OF ACHOR FOR A DOOR OF HOPE: AND SHE SHALL SING THERE, AS IN THE DAYS OF HER YOUTH, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

The troubles that had been experienced while learning that it is better to obey than to disobey, would eventually become a source of joy and hope to the wayward people of the Lord.

Isa 65:11 But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

This one is probably referring to the idolatry the Ten Tribes practiced while wandering after the fall of the Assyrian empire.

Isa 65:12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.

Spiritual dearth was the reward of having turned away from God to idolatry.

Isa 65:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
Isa 65:14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
Isa 65:15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:

These verses seem to be addressing the people of Judah, who in their blindness have been unable to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah. They are still in Spiritual Famine.

Ø Jer 29:20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Ø Jer 29:21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
Ø Jer 29:22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

Isa 65:16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Ø 2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Ø 2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Ø 2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Ø 2Pe 3:6 Whereby the WORLD THAT THEN WAS, BEING OVERFLOWED WITH WATER, perished.
Ø 2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, RESERVED UNTO FIRE against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Ø 2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Ø 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Ø 2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Ø 2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Ø 2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Ø 2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, WHEREIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Ø 2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Ø Heb 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Ø Heb 12:19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Ø Heb 12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
Ø Heb 12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Ø Heb 12:22 BUT YE ARE COME UNTO MOUNT ZION, AND UNTO THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM, AND TO AN INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS,
Ø HEB 12:23 TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN, AND TO GOD THE JUDGE OF ALL, AND TO THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT,
Ø Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Ø Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Ø Heb 12:26 WHOSE VOICE THEN SHOOK THE EARTH: but now he hath promised, saying, YET ONCE MORE I SHAKE NOT THE EARTH ONLY, BUT ALSO HEAVEN.
Ø Heb 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, THAT THOSE THINGS WHICH CANNOT BE SHAKEN MAY REMAIN.
Ø Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Ø Heb 12:29 FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.

Ø Rev 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.
Ø Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem (The Church, Mt. Zion) coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Ø Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Ø Rev 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.

Ø Psa 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Ø Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Ø Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Ø Psa 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT WE HAVE PRACTICALLY NOTHING TO TELL US WHAT “HEAVEN” WILL BE LIKE? ALMOST ALL WE KNOW IS WHAT EARTH WILL BE LIKE AFTER IT IS CLEANSED BY FIRE.

There are some scriptures in the Bible that cast SERIOUS DOUBTS on the validity of some of our present teachings about HEAVEN. We have, presently, a mixture of teachings that refer to other subjects, that have been lumped together with other teachings, and relegated to HEAVEN.

Isa 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isa 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

IN THE NEW EARTH

Isa 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.
Isa 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Isa 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Isa 65:23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isa 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

It seems that there will be a “world within a world” on the earth. If I understand correctly, the Kingdom of God will be the dominant force on the planet, but not everyone will be a member of that Kingdom. Whole nations will be affected by its influence, but will not be part of it.

Ø Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Ø Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Ø Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
Ø Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Ø Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Ø Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

According to my understanding, this blissful condition will endure within the Holy City for a thousand years, before the final destruction of evil will be carried out on the planet.

Ø Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Ø Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Ø Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Ø Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Ø Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Ø Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Ø Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Ø Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Ø Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Ø Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever
Ø Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Ø Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Ø Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Ø Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Ø Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.