Troubled times and a glorious future kingdom

Isaiah 8:21-10:34   Isaiah has a vision of troubled times after 731BC, followed in the future by a glorious new kingdom of Israel.

 

The New Israel

During the siege of Jerusalem by Israel and Syria in 731BC, Isaiah had a vision of the defeat of Israel by Assyria (which happened in 722BC), followed – after a time of exile – by a glorious new kingdom. This would be set up in Galilee (northern Israel) in the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali (between the Sea of Galilee and Dan) (see Map 49 and Joshua 19:10-16 and 32-39).

Isaiah went on to describe the awesome ruler of this glorious new kingdom:

"Before those people lived in darkness, but now they have seen a great light. They lived in a dark land, but a light has shone on them... Every boot that marched in battle and every uniform stained with blood has been thrown into the fire.

A child has been born to us; God has given a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counsellor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives For Ever, Prince of Peace.

Power and peace will be in his kingdom and will continue to grow for ever. He will rule as king on David's throne and over David's kingdom. He will make it strong by ruling with justice and goodness from now on and for ever." (Isaiah 9: 2 & 5-7)

In the New Testament, Matthew states in his gospel that the coming of a ‘Mighty God’ who would rule in peace ‘until the end of time’ was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ to Galilee in 27AD (see Matthew 4:12-17).

 

The waterfront at Tiberias, Galilee

Tiberias, Galilee - the area of Isaiah's glorious new kingdom  (Isaiah 9:1)

 

Isaiah 11:1-9   The new king from the royal line of David (the ‘Root of Jesse’) will arise like a new shoot coming from the stump of a felled tree.

"The Spirit of the LORD will rest upon that king. The Spirit will give him wisdom and understanding, guidance and power. The Spirit will teach him to know and respect the LORD... Then wolves will live in peace with lambs, and leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions and young bulls will eat together, and a little child will lead them...They will not hurt or destroy each other on all my holy mountain, because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the sea is full of water." (Isaiah 11:2, 6 & 9)

Go to next page

Powered by Church Edit