Season 6, Podcast 124, Isaiah 64:1-12, “But Now, O Lord, Thou Art our Father.”The Book of Isaiah is organic. It is one long poem celebrating the coming of the Messiah. The Book of Isaiah is a microcosm of the history of the House of Israel. It is also a microcosm of the history of the world. For example, we have Babylon and Egypt and Edom which symbolize the world. Babylon has become a universal symbol of the wickedness of the world which will be destroyed when the Savior returns. Only the righteous will remain. Only the righteous, regardless of birth, will reign with Christ when he comes. Consider the pivotal world of the resurrected Lord, spoken to his apostles prior to ascending into heaven. Matthew 28:16-20Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.The risen Lord is speaking of the gathering of Israel; however, Israel no longer represents just the literal descendants of Abraham. In fact, in the final gathering, only those of the literal seed of Abraham who are righteous, who come unto Christ, will be considered the seed of Abraham; and the seed of Abraham who meet the resurrected Lord will be all those who follow the true doctrine of Christ as stated above. By no other name are we saved.Christ, speaking of his Second Coming in private to his twelve apostles, said,Matthew 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.Remember the Abrahamic Promise, called the Abrahamic Covenant. The name Abram was changed to Abraham because he would become the father of many nations. Only those out of those nations who are righteous, whether Jew or Gentile, will be the seed of Abraham called up to meet the resurrected Lord.The House of Israel has become a symbol of the Lord’s people, whether Jew or Gentile. When they are wicked, they are cursed and fall into bondage. When they are righteous, they are blessed and released from captivity. The bondage and captivity may be literal images of slavery to other nations or figurative imagery of the bondage and captivity of Satan because of sin. Are we in Babylon or out of Babylon? That will be the criteria of judgment. Those who are in Babylon when the Savior comes will be destroyed. Those who have come out Babylon and accepted Christ as their Savior, who follow his teachings, and who endure to the end will be saved regardless of biological or cultural ties.Christ continues.Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.Who are the elect? The elect, regardless of birthright, are those who worship the true God. That is the only way to read Isaiah 64. Indeed, that is the only way to read The Book of Isaiah. For Isaiah to be meaningful, we must put ourselves in the picture. Where do we stand in our relationship with Christ? 

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