Global Mission, Isaiah 48 and the Latter Rain

 

Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil; Thd)

 

Isaiah switch from a one generation remnant to an End-time remnant in Isaiah 48:19 since an eschatological time signal is used “their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence” (Isaiah 48:19c). Of course persecution powers always wanted to remove the name of the remnant believers but eternity is brought closer here since God will not forget their names. This special remnant gets the ‘Come out of Babylon’ message (Isaiah 48:20a). They are charged with an Elijah-like message: “declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this” (Isaiah 48:20b). The message is to be global “send out to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 48:20c). The core of the message is about a saving God “the Lord

Van Wyk Christ’s Actions in History Prophetically 93

has redeemed His servant Jacob” (Isaiah 48:20d). There is a reminder of the miracles during Moses’ time of the spiritual Israel then in the desert that they had no thirst (Isaiah 48:21a-c). The wicked of course will not experience peace (Isaiah 48:22). God has a plan and follow a definite course of action. There is no way environmentalism will save the earth. The end-time is going to be troublesome. God directed natural disasters will come also as an Endtime fulfillment. These plaques will fall on the evil and the remnant will be a Babylon outcoming remnant; an Elijah message preaching remnant; a global preaching remnant; a redeemed remnant and lastly, a miracle experiencing remnant. God has prepared Babylon for a future time in Isaiah’s history but revealed it before it happen (Isaiah 48:16). The same was said about Sennacherib in Isaiah 37:26. Every successful empire or ruler has God Who has a role for that individual or country to play, regardless their own perception or ours. The Trinity is involved in all this. Christ telling Isaiah and then said “the Lord God has sent Me [Christ] and His [Holy] Spirit” (Isaiah 48:16d). We know that the Babylon event did not take place yet since that is what God said to Isaiah “I proclaim to you new things from this time even hidden things which you have not known” (Isaiah 48:6c-d). History is dragged out or delayed for the sake of the remnant (Isaiah 48:9) but there is a day when God will act suddenly (Isaiah 48:3c). The Owner of the remnant makes a special emphasis in Isaiah 48:15 using “I” twice in the original plus once as attachment to the verb, thus three times. “I”, “I”, “I” have spoken. There is also a double emphasis by God in verse 11 “for My own sake”, “for My own sake”.

 

Dear God

Let me be a part of this great commission in our own time. To the ends of the earth, with clarity, proclaiming. Amen.