Isaiah 29

In this chapter Isaiah starts off with a probable name of the Temple Mound in David’s days: Ariel. Scholars are confused about this word and translated it as “lion of God” or “hearth of God”. In Solomon’s days it was built in 970 BCE after David’s death and Isaiah acknowledge the temple by saying “add year to year feasts he let run their round” (v. 1b). A synonym for Ariel is given in an identical sentence in both verses 7 and 8i, namely “Mount Zion”. In prophetic language there were two Mount Zions, an earthly one and a heavenly one. The earthly one is in earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly one is in the New Jerusalem in heaven. Isaiah then let Satan speaks seemingly in vv. 2-3. Satan explains his agenda with the “lion of God” temple or sanctuary of God on earth: he will bring distress there and there shall be lamenting and mourning (v. 2a-b). We know it is Satan because he says “she shall be like an Ariel [lion of God] to me” (v. 2c). For the suffering city to switch around and become a lion to the afflicter means that God took control to punish Satan and his proxies. This phrase is the reason for identifying Satan here. It is not God who will wage war against Ariel and Satan says that he will “camp against” the city and encircles it with the Assyrian armies in Sennacherib’s day in 701 BCE and again in 689 BCE. Siege-works and battle towers Satan will be placed against Jerusalem in the days of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE (v. 3b-c). The remnant of God shall be brought low (v. 4a). From earth they will speak to God (v. 4b). From the dust shall come low their words. And it shall be like a ghost from the earth will their voice speak out of the dust, their speech shall whisper (v. 4a-f). Spiritism is a reality of the bad and not the good. It is connected to Satan. But when the remnant speaks in the dust, it will be at the Resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ (Daniel 12:1-2). Isaiah says that though they died and were brought low, yet will they awaken from their sleep and speak from the dust where the Creative God will recreate them according to a sanctified and perfect DNA. The multitude of enemies of the remnant, shall become like dust at the Second Coming (v. 5a). The ruthless ones shall become like chaff that the wind blows (v. 5b). “And it shall happen instantly, suddenly” (v. 5c). The New Testament says also that it will be suddenly. Satan and his proxies will be punished “from the Lord of hosts” “with thunder and earthquake and loud noise” (v. 6a) as is also portrayed in Habakkuk 3 at the Second Coming of Christ. With a whirlwind and storm and flame of a consuming fire, the Second Coming will take place (v. 6b). After the millennium the Warrior Messiah will take care of the fighting nations who wage war against the heavenly Ariel or heavenly Mount Zion (v. 7). All who will try to distress Mount Zion, shall be in the face of the Warrior Messiah, “like a dream, a vision of the night” (v. 7c). It shall be as if they are hungry and eating but then wakes up and it was just a dream or thirsty and drinking and wake up and it was just a dream, so shall be their attempt to attack the heavenly Zion or heavenly New Jerusalem coming down from heaven at the end of the millennium and Christ the Warrior Messiah taking care of them with words and not fighting (v. 8a-g). Isaiah then touch upon what they knew about the Delay Theology, the Waiting Theology, the Sleeping Theology, the Sealed Book Theology as it is also in the book of Revelation that precedes the Second Coming of the Lord. “Delayed and wait” (v. 9a) for the “Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep” (v. 10a) and the understanding was shut “like the words of a sealed book” (v. 11) which the literate could not read for it was sealed [during the Dark Ages] and when unsealed after 1798, the illiterate could not read it with understanding because they are illiterate. Bible illiteracy means that the Bible is everywhere in every language on internet but many cannot understand it for they never read it. One cannot understand a rubicon immediately or get skilled in it instantly. These are secularists who draw near the Lord with words but not with hearts (v. 13), they worship with tradition but not heartfelt reverence, the “wisdom of their wise men will perish” (v. 14b). Their worship and lifestyle habits try to hide things from the Lord, continue in sin but pretend in worship not to (v. 15). It is like clay talking to its Designer saying “He has no understanding” (v. 16). In this time in history, after the unsealing of the Book of Revelation, after 1798, that Isaiah saw “is it not yet a very little while” (v. 17a) and Lebanon will be recreated by God, after the Second Coming followed by the Millennium and the Hell eradication of all evil in a new creation act of God, says Revelation. It will turn into a fertile field (v. 17b). At the Second Coming and these events in one scoop by Isaiah, all the way through to the new creation of Lebanon area in a fertile garden, “the deaf shall hear” and the “blind shall see” since at the Second Coming already Resurrection will be God giving the remnant new perfect bodies (v. 18). The afflicted and needy of the Time of Jacob’s Trouble “shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel” (v. 19). Isaiah sees Satan destroyed before this event in the Hell “for the ruthless one” (v. 20a) “shall come to an end”. Total eradication of all evil. “And the scorner will be finished” and Isaiah continued “indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off” (v. 20b). It is the absolute finality of evil in the Hell event of the Book of Revelation. The identity of these evil ones together with Satan is that they cause people to be indicted by a word, they ensnare the remnant in the Time of Trouble, they “turn aside the one in the right with an empty plea” (v. 21a-c). Thus the Lord says of his remnant, who like Abraham are full of faith and being helped by the Lord, “Jacob [Time of Jacob’s Trouble remnant faithful] shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale” (v. 22). Even though a Time of Trouble but nothing to fear with the Lord on their side. When the remnant shall see his children, the work of the evangelizing hand of the Lord by the Latter Rain Spirit-filling event in their midst, all will “sanctify My name the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel” (v. 23a-c). “And will know those who err of spirit, understanding” (v. 24a). It is a case of how much light you have. Know little and err great spiritually. See more and know the truth. They will see more in the Latter Rain Spirit-filling event and know the truth. “And those who murmur will accept instruction” (v. 24b).

Dear God

Grant that we will be ready in the Latter Rain Spirit-filling event to be receptive of Your truth, to provide us also with understanding, for us also to endure the Time of Trouble with Your sustaining Hand. Amen.

Koot van Wyk, (DLitt et Phil; ThD) Kyungpook National University, Department of Liberal Education, Sangju, South Korea; conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia