Find audio version here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7041496-part-2-jerusalem-redeemed-and-married-with-children-heaven-are-we-going-up-or-is-god-moving-in
Please ensure you have read ‘Part 1 Heaven or Earth – Are we going up or is God moving in?’ before continuing otherwise much of this may not necessarily make sense to you. I previously wrote about the restoration of creation and the redemption of the bodies of faithful believers. What I have not addressed is the redemption of the land itself from abuse and degrading treatment by people who are foreigners to the Abrahamic covenant.
Isaiah 51:17-23
Awake, awake!
Stand up, O Jerusalem,
You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord
The cup of His fury;
You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling,
And drained it out. [This is in reference to God having rejected Jerusalem because of the abomination that was found in her, as the children of Israel provoked God in jealousy through their idolatry and many other ungodly actions]
18 There is no one to guide her
Among all the sons she has brought forth [speaking of the jews];
Nor is there any who takes her by the hand
Among all the sons she has brought up.
19 These two things have come to you;
Who will be sorry for you?—
Desolation and destruction, famine and sword—
By whom will I comfort you?
20 Your sons have fainted,
They lie at the head of all the streets,
Like an antelope in a net;
They are full of the fury of the Lord,
The rebuke of your God. [a reference and prophecy of the destruction God was purposing to bring later when Nebuchadnezzar would come]
21 Therefore please hear this, you afflicted,
And drunk but not with wine. [speaking to Jerusalem]
22 Thus says your Lord,
The Lord and your God,
Who pleads the cause of His people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
The cup of trembling,
The dregs of the cup of My fury;
You shall no longer drink it. [Meaning God will cease destroying and exposing her shame]
23 But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you,
Who have said to you,
‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’
And you have laid your body like the ground,
And as the street, for those who walk over.” [God is saying the he is now going to inflict his wrath on those causing Jerusalem shame, that is, the children of Israel]
Isaiah 52:1-3
Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, O Zion;
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city!
For the uncircumcised and the unclean
Shall no longer come to you. [this is a reference to Revelation 21:27 – And there will by no means enter into her anything profane, or the one practicing idolatry and deceit, but only those having been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.]
2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise;
Sit down, O Jerusalem!
Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion!
3 For thus says the Lord:
“You have sold yourselves for nothing,
And you shall be redeemed without money.” [God here promises Jerusalem’s redemption. He is going to loose her chains of servitude and bondage]
Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!” [This section is quoted by Paul in Romans 10:15 where he says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. For how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall one preach unless he is sent. Notice how this section in Isaiah links salvation with speaking good tidings to Jerusalem. For it says how beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news, who proclaim salvation saying to Zion “your God reigns. Is it not interesting that salvation is connected to Jerusalem’s redemption and not a flight to Heaven?]
8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices,
With their voices they shall sing together;
For they shall see eye to eye
When the Lord brings back Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together,
You waste places of Jerusalem!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has made bare His holy arm
In the eyes of all the nations;
And all the ends of the earth shall see
The salvation of our God. [Again salvation here has nothing to do with a heavenly destination but the redemption of Jerusalem]
Isaiah 54:1-15
“Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord. [Paul quotes this passage here and interprets it for us in Galatians 4:21-31. “Tell me, you who prefer to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? For it was written that Abraham had two sons, one from a servant woman, and the other from a free [woman]. But indeed the one from the servant woman was born according to the flesh. Yet, the one born from the free [woman] was by the promise [Meaning Ismael was born according to Abraham’s decision but Isaac was born in fulfilment of God’s promise to give him an heir]. These things are symbols. They represent the two covenants. Indeed, the one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to slavery, is represented by Hagar. For this Hagar, (which is Mount Sinai in Arabia), corresponds to the present Jerusalem. She is in slavery with her children [meaning Jerusalem as well as those in her (the Jews when Paul wrote Galatians) are in slavery]. But the elevated Jerusalem is free [that is, Jerusalem redeemed]! She is the mother of all of us! For it has been written, [Paul now quotes Isaiah 54 from the Septuagint – greek old testament]“Rejoice oh barren, the one unable to bear children! Burst out and shout, you who have no contractions, because she who was deserted has the multitude of children rather than her who has a husband!” But, we brothers, like Isaac, are the children of the promise. Even as then, the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one [born] according to the spirit, so also it is now. Yet, what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the servant woman and her son! For the son of the servant woman shall never be an heir along with the son of the free woman.” [This indicating that those trampling on Jerusalem will be cast out when she is redeemed] Consequently, brothers, we are not the children of the servant woman, but of the free [woman].”
Coming back now to Isaiah 54 we read again:
“Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,”
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited. [Meaning that Jerusalem’s redemption is upon her and she will be inhabited by descendants who will inherit nations, not just Canaan]
4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the Lord has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you. [This here is a foreshadowing of the return of Christ]
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So have I sworn
That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
11 “O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones. [This is a reference to Revelation 21:8-21 which speaks in more detail on the foundations of Jerusalem and her beauty when she is adorned with pearls and gems]
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you. [This sounds just like the promise God made to David about his plan to plant Israel in a land free of oppression – 2 Samuel 7:10-11]
15 Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. [This we see portrayed in Revelation 20:7-9 when the kings of the land gather themselves against Jerusalem redeemed and its inhabitants, but the kings are destroyed by God with fire from Heaven]
Isaiah 60:1-22
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising. [See Revelation 21:24 which says “And the nations shall walk by her light. And the kings of the land bring their glory into her”]
Continuing on in Isaiah 60:4
“Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
Skip down to verse 10
“The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
And their kings shall minister to you;
For in My wrath I struck you,
But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined. [This is a threat of destruction for those nations who refuse to show honour to Jerusalem. See also Zechariah 14:16-19 which says “16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.]
Continuing on in Isaiah 60:15
“Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Skip down to verse18
Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.
19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever, [Take note of this statement.]
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” [see Revelation 21:23, 27; 22:5 for parallel references]
Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
3 You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah [which means my delight is in her], and your land Beulah [which means married];
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.
Skip down to verse10
Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!
11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.’ ” [see Revelation 22:12 where Jesus says he is coming quickly with his rewards with him]
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken. [Jerusalem is given a new name]
Isaiah 65:17-19
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; [i.e. renewed heavens and a renewed earth. Not something entirely different but rather it’s made new]
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
Isaiah 66:7-11
“Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
8 Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children. [i.e. God will redeem Jerusalem without delay. Not even a sec beyond when she is meant to be delivered. And at the time God does this, he will also redeem his people and give them the land. Hence why it seems so strange that the land gave birth to many children at once and in one day]
9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
[Hold in her the universal assembly]
11 That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”
skip down to verse18
“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. [a reference to the feast of Tabernacles in Zechariah 14]
24 “And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” [Note Jesus quotes this in Mark 9:42-48 when he speaks of Gehenna which is commonly although wrongly known as hell. Also notice that people will be able to go look upon the corpses of those who rebelled against God. This ought to get you thinking about what you may have wrongly been taught about Gehenna or hell, that is, if you believe it’s an underworld somewhere, you have been taught wrong because Isaiah tells us differently. He tells us that Gehenna is on earth outside the city for it says,….
“And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh [Jesus confirms this by quoting it and applying to what is commonly named as hell. More on this concept of Hell and Gehenna at a later time, if God permits]
In conclusion, we can understand amongst many more passages not mentioned in this discourse so far, God has a plan. His plan is nothing other but to fulfil all the promises he has sworn under oath. Promises to Abraham and his seed, as well as promises he has laid down concerning Jerusalem. A belief of a heavenly destination for saints falls short in light of all that has been expounded so far.
The ultimate question that remains is ‘Heaven or Earth – Are we going up or is God moving in?’
Find audio version here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7041496-part-2-jerusalem-redeemed-and-married-with-children-heaven-are-we-going-up-or-is-god-moving-in
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