ISAIAH LESSON 30


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 27:1 "In that day the LORD
with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the
piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall
slay the dragon that [is] in the sea."

     Leviathan, in this verse, means crocodile, some large sea
monster, or wreathed animal such as a serpent. It, also, is a symbol
of evil. This is all speaking of the spirit of Satan, in the form of a
serpent. Notice, the judgement against these serpents is threefold.
This leviathan, also, symbolizes Babylon. These three could be
speaking of three very evil nations God brings judgement against. The
fact that there are three could, also, mean God comes against
antichrist, the false prophet, and the beast. All of these make up the
antichrist system. The dragon mentioned could be Satan himself.
Whoever, or whatever, they are, they symbolize evil, and God destroys
them.

     Isaiah 27:2 "In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red
wine."

     The vineyard is speaking of the believers. We know God is the
Lord of the vineyard. We know the parable of the vineyard was spoken
by Jesus. I would assume then, these are Christians. This red wine
comes from a rich grape. The vineyard is the same as the wheat. This
takes place on earth. The Christians sing the joyous song.

     Isaiah 27:3 "I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment:
lest [any] hurt it, I will keep it night and day."

     This speaks of the protection awarded to all the believers in
Christ. He is our very present help. Water indicates the Spirit, and
also, the Word. It is the Word of God which builds us up. The Spirit
is our Teacher and Guide. God's protection is continuous. We are
covered in the blood of Jesus and protected from the enemy. Our safety
is in the LORD.

     Isaiah 27:4 "Fury [is] not in me: who would set the briers [and]
thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn
them together."

     This is like the tares that grew with the wheat. These are in the
vineyard, but were planted there by the devil. Just as the tares were
to grow with the wheat until harvest, these briars and thorns grew
with the grape vines. This is speaking of those who say with their
mouths they are Christians, but do not believe in their hearts. They
are against God and His followers. The answer to the question, above,
is the devil himself set them against God.

     Isaiah 27:5 "Or let him take hold of my strength, [that] he may
make peace with me; [and] he shall make peace with me."

     God leaves the door open for them to repent and come to Him. God
will accept their repentance and forgive them, if they will come to
Him.

     Isaiah 27:6 "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root:
Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with
fruit."

     Jacob is Israel. We have discussed many times that there are two
Israels. The family of Jacob in the physical is physical Israel.
Spiritual Israel makes up all believers in Christ. The fruit, spoken
of here, are souls of men. Christianity has flourished. The fruit are
plentiful and scattered around the world.

     Isaiah 27:7  "Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote
him? [or] is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are
slain by him?"

     We could look at this, as if God is the one who has smitten. We
already know of the judgements of the evil nations, such as Babylon.
The punishment for the evil nations would be much more severe, than
the punishment for the family of Jacob. The smiting of the family of
Jacob would be more in the line of chastisement. God will always have
a remnant of the physical house of Israel {Jacob}.

     Isaiah 27:8 "In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate
with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind."

     Notice, the chastisement on Jacob is in measure. It is carefully
meted out to accomplish what God wants. We know the punishment on
Jacob's family will not be severe. It would greatly grieve God that it
was necessary at all to chastise His own.

     Isaiah 27:9 "By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be
purged; and this [is] all the fruit to take away his sin; when he
maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in
sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up."

     Now, we see why they were chastised at all. It is to purge them
and make them pure. We have spoken earlier about the vessels of Gold
and silver that can withstand the heat of purging. God turned up the
heat to purify them. This is the same thing here. God is taking away
all the evil from them and leaving a pure vessel. This is a
destruction of the evil in the church, as well. This will remove the
false worship, such as the images and groves.

     Isaiah 27:10 "Yet the defenced city [shall be] desolate, [and]
the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the
calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches
thereof."

     The city of Jerusalem will never be completely flattened as some
of the other cities are, but it will be forsaken of people and
partially destroyed. The citizens will flee, and it will be like a
feeding place for the calf. Jerusalem will be rebuilt, however.

     Isaiah 27:11 "When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be
broken off: the women come, [and] set them on fire: for it [is] a
people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have
mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour."

     The sad thing is that judgement begins at the house of God and
among His people. We see, in this, the city spoken of as a tree. The
tree is not uprooted, but the branches that have withered are cut off
and burned. God will not have mercy on those who have turned against
Him, even if they are His chosen.

     Isaiah 27:12  "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the
LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of
Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel."

     This is similar to the olives that were harvested in another
lesson. God will harvest {beat off} His people. This appears, to me,
as the harvest of souls at the trump of God. Individual Israelites
will go to be with Him. That is what is meant by one by one. Remember
one more time, this can be the physical house of Israel and the
spiritual house of Israel. Salvation is one at a time. Egypt
symbolizes the world.

     Isaiah 27:13 "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the
great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to
perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt,
and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem."

     This is the final gathering of spiritual Israel into the church.
Physical Israel is coming back to the Holy Land today. God is
preparing His church for the sound of the trumpet, also. All of this
is speaking of the time when the Christians will be called to worship
in that heavenly Jerusalem. It will not matter what denomination they
belonged to, or how wealthy they are, or even if they are of the
physical, or the spiritual house. They will be called as individuals
out of every nation and every kindred. This would be the day of the
LORD.















                          Isaiah 30 Questions


1.  What is the meaning of leviathan?
2.  What is it a symbol of?
3.  What could the fact it is mentioned 3 times mean?
4.  The dragon mentioned could be ________ _________.
5.  Who is the vineyard in verse 2?
6.  Who is Lord of the vineyard?
7.  The vineyard is also the same as the _______.
8.  Who sings the joyous song?
9.  What 2 things does the water, in verse 3, indicate?
10. What does the Spirit do for us?
11. Our safety is in the _______.
12. What can the briars and thorns be likened to?
13. Where did the briars come from?
14. What is the answer to the question in verse 4?
15. Why does God leave the door open?
16. Who is Jacob?
17. Who are the 2 Israels?
18. What is the fruit, in verse 6, speaking of?
19. What happens to God's people who turn away?
20. The punishment of God's people is more like ______________.
21. God will always have a _____________ of the physical house of
    Israel.
22. Notice, the chastisement on Jacob is in ____________.
23. Why were they chastised?
24. Why had God turned up the heat on His chosen vessels?
25. What do images and groves speak of?
26. Jerusalem will never be ________ _______ as some of the evil
    cities were.
27. Where does judgement begin?
28. The city is spoken of as what in verse 11?
29. Verse 12 is similar to what we have learned before?
30. What is meant by one by one?
31. What does the author believe verse 12 to be saying?
32. Salvation is _____ at a time.
33. What is verse 13 speaking of?
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