Isaiah Chapter 37 "Hezekiah's Reception and Action to Message." This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org In the prior chapter the king of Assyria had sent his chief cup bearer, along with his mighty army down to the city of Jerusalem to give king Hezekiah of Judah a message. Remember the "the king of Assyria" is always a type of what the false messiah shall be like. This message given was that "if you do business with us, you will eat and live well. However, if you don't accept our offer, you and your people will starve. This offer is like the offer that will be given also to those living in the latter day, as recorded in Revelation 13:16, 17. Revelation 13:16 "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:" Revelation 13:17 "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." This is to show us a parallel between these two times. It was God Himself that sent the Assyrian, Sennacherib against Hezekiah, and it is also God that shall cast Satan on to the earth, to come against God's people in the "time of the end". Remember it was also this same Assyrian king that took the House of Israel, the northern ten tribes captive and scattered them many years prior. So as it appears that the battle is all but over, with the massive army surrounding Jerusalem, and all the other forty two walled cities of defense defeated. Hezekiah is now going to stop running down to Egypt, and turn back to the Living God for help. Hezekiah has just received the message to surrender from Rabshakeh, and he went into great despair. So let's see what Hezekiah does under this great pressure. Isaiah 37:1 "And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord." This is a continuation of the last verse of Isaiah 36. At least king Hezekiah knew where to go to seek help in this time of despair. This is exactly what God was seeking from the very beginning of Judah's problems. God does not like it when you go to other people and systems when you get into trouble, He wants you to come to Him. Isaiah 37:2 "And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe , and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz." Not only the king, but all those in positions of leadership finally see the trouble they are in, and come humbly to Isaiah to seek the help of God. Isaiah 37:3 "And they said unto him, "Thus saith Hezekiah, `This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth." With over one hundred and eighty five thousand troops of the enemy outside the gate, ready to pounce on them, they certainly are in trouble. This Scripture is written in this way to let us know that it is a type of the birth of a new age. It is written to apply in the prophetic sense, as well as the historical. If the multitudes are not very careful in our generation, they are not going to have the strength to overcome in that day coming either. As Jesus said in Mark 13, they will not wait on their true husband, and be taken by the false Christ. They will stand in spiritual pregnancy by their acceptance of the first Christ, who is Satan the instead of Christ. Isaiah 37:4 "It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left." It may be that the Lord God will hear the words of this Assyrian and change His mind as to what He would allow the Assyrian do. It appears that at this time it is to late to pray for forgiveness from the Father, the nation has been conquered by the Assyrians, and all but Jerusalem has fallen. They outnumber Judah's army many times over, and the House of Judah still have their idols in their homes, churches and street corners that insult our Heavenly Father, and now it is time to turn back to the God. It seems that it is very late in time to seek repentance, However that is exactly how our people act before they will seek help from God. Isaiah 37:5 "So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah." It is time to do some serious searching out of the Lord. It is like those fox-hole prayers when the heat of the battle is upon you and it looks like there is no conceivable way out for your life. The mind set for many is that it is finally time to get saved. Isaiah 37:6 "And Isaiah said unto them, "Thus shall ye say unto your master, 'Thus saith the Lord, `Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me." Isaiah is telling these religious leaders that came to him scared and disillusioned, go back to your master and tell him this. Don't be afraid of the words that you have heard by the Assyrians. The king of Assyria has lost sight that it was God that is in charge of them and what they were to do, and it is He that built their empire. By saying that it was his Assyrian army that would destroy Judah, and the strength was the Assyrian arm, was blasphemous to God. It is time to wake up that God is in control, both of the enemy, and of His own people. Isaiah 37:7 "Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." We know from the end of this chapter that this did come to pass. This blast that came upon the him was the "Ruach", the Holy Spirit of God. God brought a Spirit upon him that changed the mind of the Sennacherib. This can happen for the good and for the bad. Sometimes when it looks like nothing could go wrong, something happens to change the mindset of the proud, and the sure victory ends in a loss. It can also go the other way and when it looks like there is no way out, God allows certain things to happen that changes the minds of those that are a barrier to you. God opens a path that allows you to breeze right through the problem. When this happens, don't forget to give God the prase for the victory He has given you. When you open your heart, your soul and mind to God, He can send that winning spirit upon you. Isaiah 37:8 "So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish." While Rabshakeh was outside the gate of Jerusalem giving the warning message to Hezekiah, God was working on the mind of king Sennacherib. Upon the arrival of Rabshakeh back at Lachish to give his message back to king Sennacherib, the Assyrian king had already heard the rumor that his home land was under attack, and had departed for home. Here we have the witness that the Spirit of God had hit him instantly. God is always in control, we need to be reminded of that fact. A wise person would never mess around trying to find safety in places that just don't matter, but would take the problem directly to the Lord. God knows the problem before it developed, and he know the minds of all those connected to the problem. He can send His Spirit to change the minds of those that would harm you in any way, so the problem just never develops. We are to go to our Heavenly Father in Jesus name right from the beginning, and not wait till we reach the place of crisis. This miserable lot in Jerusalem had allowed themselves to come to a point of complete destruction, before they finally woke up. In our generation, most of the people will do the same thing as these men of Judah did. They will allow themselves to follow many forms of idolatry and tradition that will open the way for their accepting the offer that Satan will give them, and they will take his name and number to receive his protection, so that they may buy and sell in Satan's one world system. Isaiah 37:9 "And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He is come forth to make war with thee." And when he heard it, he sent word messengers to Hezekiah, saying," Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's cup bearer is sending a message back to king Hezekiah with a last moment shallow warning. Isaiah 37:10 "Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, `Let not thy God, in Whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, `Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' " This is a bold thing to say, for it is speaking against the living God. Remember in the last chapter, it was this same God that Rabshakeh used for giving the reason for the Assyrian army for being there in the first place. However Rabshakeh lost sight of why he was there and just who he was representing. Now Rabshakeh is telling Jerusalem, "Don't let God deceive you." Do you see the twist in this man's words? Do you realize that this is the exact same thing that Satan will do, once he is cast out of heaven? Though Satan's spirit is here now, he will be here in person, plainly visible to all the people on earth. God put Sennacherib on the throne and built him an empire to do a task for Him, and once he was upon the throne and doing that mission, he placed himself over God. Satan will be sent to earth and given a one world system, just as Sennacherib had, and just as that power went to Sennacherib's head, so also will Satan elevate himself to the position of God. II Thessalonians 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Satan knows that it is God that has sent him to earth, and he will also know that it was God that placed the supernatural powers within his fingertips. He will see that the entire world will be amazed at the supernatural thing that he can do, and that they will even believe his lies. Satan will actually come to believe that he is God, and when he declares that as fact and the world believes him, this is what is called the "abomination of desolation" by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. Can you see how the historical events of the Old Testament are "ensamples" or examples of the things that we will face in this final generation? Isaiah 37:11 "Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?" Just as the Assyrian cup bearer had said to king Hezekiah that Assyria had completely destroyed all the nations of the earth, so also will Satan's fallen angels, and false preachers of today use this same message to bring you into Satan's camp. Notice how when Rabshakeh first gave the message to the men on the wall, it was acting on behalf of their God, however in due time, they lost sight of the fact as to who the real power came from, and invested the power within their own might and wisdom. Are you going to let some men talk to you that way? If someone comes to you and tells you that their system, or leader is the only salvation that there is, are you going to believe him? When that person comes to you and makes such a statement, know that this person -- and their system's days are numbered. In the case of the Antichrist making his statement, God has told us of the exact number of days of his reign. It is five months, and the number of days following Satan's declaration of being God to be three and one half days [eighty four hours]. Revelation 9:10 "And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months." The smiting of the two witness and Satan's declaring himself to be God is when Satan went against the powers and authority that God had given to him, in the role of Antichrist. When Satan killed the two witnesses, he left their bodies in the streets of Jerusalem for a witness to his power, and declared himself to be God. Revelation 11:11 "And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them [the two witnesses], and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." Revelation 11:12 "And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, "Come up hither." and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and there enemies beheld them." Revelation 11:13 "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." This is the end of Satan's reign and the end of this earth age of the flesh, for it ends the five month reign of Satan's world kingdom. Friend, you want to be careful who you listen to, and what you believe about what they say. Isaiah 37:12 "Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?" Rabshakeh continued to ask Hezekiah in his letter to him; did any of those nations that Assyria had conquered receive any help from their gods? Isaiah 37:13 "Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?" Rabshakeh is even asking about the Kenite's king, the king of Hamath. Assyria had conquered them all, because God was setting up this kingdom of Assyria to use them against Judah, to bring them back to Him. Assyria was God's whip to bring the House of Judah into line, as well as scatter the "House of Israel" many years prior to this time of trouble with Judah. Isaiah 37:14 "And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord." Hezekiah is finally getting his act together, and doing things the way that God would have it done. Again, it is important to understand that we should not wait until it becomes to late to do anything about it, but bring our troubles to God early. Learn to lean on the Lord and trust in His instruction in the matters of our daily life. When we bring our troubles to Him early in prayer, things won't get out of hand. Our prayer and walk with the Lord will not keep the false messiah from coming to earth, but it will keep you from being deceived by him when he arrives. It doesn't matter how close you come to Satan when he is here on earth, for you can be right next to him, Satan can not harm you. Christ gave us the victory over Him and his entire system, and he knows that you are forbidden to him. The only thing that can harm you, is your own ignorance, and your choosing to listen to him that the words of his fallen angels, and those that have chosen to follow him. Remember that Satan's approach is the same as Sennacherib's approach to Hezekiah and the House of Judah. The promises that he comes with is peace and prosperity, if you will just turn your protection over to me. He will try to convert you to his religion, which is the worshipping of him. Daniel 8:23 "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up." This is why we were told by both Jesus and Paul to put on our whole gospel armor in Ephesians 6:10-20, because we were about to go into a fierce spiritual battle when Satan arrives on this earth. We were told that "we do not war against the power of the arm, but against the power of dark sentences." Our spiritual fight is against the "king of fierce countenances", and that king is Satan in the role of Antichrist. The battle will be fought with words and ideas, and the battlefield will be the minds of people living on the earth. Daniel 8:24 "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper,and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy People." "Destroy" as used here is in reverence to your soul and spiritual being, and that destruction comes by the deception of the supernatural acts that Satan can do. This is why Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:4; "Take heed that no man shall deceive you", as He foretold of the events concerning the time just before His second coming, at the seventh trumpet. When Satan returns to earth even those church systems will run to follow him and worship him as the messiah. Though Satan's power will be mighty, he gets his power through the craftiness of the one world governmental system. This one world system is part of God's plan for the ages for testing His children to see if they love Him enough to study His Word. This is not a new thing today, for even youngest of this generation have been taught to give respect to this filthy system, with all it's attributes of ungodliness. It is however through that one world system and their international trade, banking, and commerce agreements that trade and crafts are prospering today. Today it is the hands of those that know not God that are getting the production work to be peddled to Christian nations. However as the Christian nations give over their respect to the beliefs of that system, worldly prosperity will return. Satan is coming to rule over this one world system after the political head of this beast with its four hidden dynasties has fallen, and the religious order is set into place. It shall come to pass in the latter days, and we are living in the latter days. This final generation started May 1948 when the Jews returned to establish that tiny nation in Palestine. Most all religious leaders of today, and their church systems are part of this new order controlling all the religions of the world. Daniel 8:25 "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." The "policy" of any company, or organization is what sets the limits of operation of that body. Nothing is allowed to occur outside the policy. Satan's policy is to promise you whatever your price is to worship him. To most Christians living today, their price is so low and cheap it simply doesn't exist. Why? The Kenites, and their religious leaders will lead them right into Satan's camp. Their traditions and false doctrines will have taught them to do so with gladness. These religious leaders are bought also with a price, it may be with a government wage, a pension, or some are low enough to sell out of a medical plan. Have you thought over what your price will be for the selling of your soul? Friend, when you enter Satan's one world system and if one bows to him as the messiah, whatever posperity you receive will end in just five months. That is the time that Satan will try to stand against the Prince of princes, the Lord Jesus Christ, for that is the time of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Then shall Christ return, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. All the false peace, and evil that went to make up Satan's one world system, will be gone, destroyed in the wink of an eye. Isaiah 37:15 "And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying," Finally Hezekiah is getting around to praying for himself. Isaiah 37:16 "O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, That dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth." Hezekiah is getting some serious religion, and he is trying to say everything just right. It is interesting that Hezekiah is calling reference to the seat that dwellest between the cherubim's, and Moses made a pattern of it. It was a type of what would come in the future to them, and it was the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ that would shed his blood on the cross, the mercy seat of God. Isaiah 37:17 "Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God." Hezekiah has overlooked here that he has allow his people to become a reproach to God, but he is calling attention to Sennacherib's reproach to God. Here he is being very near-sighted when it comes to finding fault with another; yet he is so able to overlook the faults that he has within himself, sound familiar? Hezekiah is not examining himself to find his own short-comings, but is trying to draw attention away from himself. Friend, God does not like those that are unfaithful to Him. Isaiah 37:18 "Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries," Hezekiah is telling God the news of this letter from the king of Assyria, like it is some thing new to God. Hezekiah has no idea in the world that God warned them years before, that He was going to make Assyria to become this powerful one world nation? God did warn them that Assyria would become a servant to God. But Hezekiah is reminding God that the gods of those other nations could not prevent it from happening. In a way it seems like Hezekiah is starting to compare the true God, with the other idols, and things men bow down to which were made of by their own hands. Isaiah 37:19 "And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them." At least Hezekiah is starting to see how worthless all the other gods are. Hezekiah is stating that it is the Assyrian that has destroyed both the nations and their heathen gods, made of wood and stone. He still hasn't caught on to the fact that Assyria was acting as a servant of God in doing those acts. Isaiah 37:20 "Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord even thou only." Hezekiah is starting to understand how to get to our Heavenly Father's heart. He knows better than to ask, "do it for our sake", for the House of Judah had been doing exactly what those heathen nations that fell had been doing; worshipping idols, and many forms of idolatry and traditions that went against God's Word by the prophets. Hezekiah asked God to do it so that all the world will know that you are God. Friend, this is the same reason that God destroys His enemies in the battles of Armageddon and Hammon-gog, to end this world age of the flesh. It is to bring Glory to Himself. Ezekiel 39:21 "And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid upon them." Ezekiel 39:22 "So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward." Ezekiel 39:23 "And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against Me, therefore hid I My face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. Then in Ezekiel 39:25; "Therefore' thus saith the Lord God; `Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for My holy name;" God allowed those ten tribes to be scattered; "because they trespassed against Me", God said. That is why the House of Israel fell to them, and why God would have allowed the House of Judah to fall, if Hezekiah had not come to his senses, and repented before God. The reason is to stress the fact that our Heavenly Father is God. It will not be until the Millennium age, the coming of our true Lord Jesus Christ that the whole House of Israel, the House of Israel and the House of Judah are finally joined together as one people. Isaiah 37:21 "Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, `Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:" This is the Lord's answer to Hezekiah, in response to his prayer. Isaiah 37:22 "This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; `The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee." This is God's warning concerning Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. God is telling Hezekiah to tell this king of Assyria that the God of Jerusalem, the God of Zion has turned His back on you. Isaiah 37:23 "Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on High? even against the Holy One of Israel." This is what Hezekiah is to tell Sennacherib, word for word. Isaiah 37:24 "By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, `By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel." By your troops and warriors has God used those men to punish His own people, and you have gone overboard. God just did not like it when Sennacherib started to attribute all that Assyria had done to his own work and power. God just doesn't like it when you use the word "I", to attribute the work that God has done through you. It is God that does the work through the gifts that He has placed with you, and it is God who is to get all the credit. When you step forward to get the praise, God is going to cut you off where it hurts. King Sennacherib knew at the beginning that the Assyrians were successful in their victories because the prophets of Israel's God. Isaiah had told them that they would be the servants of God, to do a work for God. However after the work was done, he forgot how it all come to pass and revealed in his own glory. God is telling Sennacherib that He is going to take over all those places that He gave to him in victory, and God is even going to take over his Carmel, his garden of pleasant places. This old boy is about to lose his kingdom, and his life. It was real easy for the cup bearer Rabshakeh to stand there outside the gates of Jerusalem and spout out the victories that God had done for Sennacherib and the Assyrians. However after witnessing the power of his troops in battle, is hard for this heathen to respect the power of God and not give the credit. He will degrade himself back to his lowest position and leave God out of it, and take the pride that it was they that had the victory. God was giving the heathen along with His people, a lesson, but these Assyrian heathen were blinded to the lessons of God. At the time of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, all the heathen shall know that He is God. Isaiah 37:25 "I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places." This is God telling us as to what they are saying to themselves. As those nations fell, and the waters were being dried up for their victories to happen, it was God that was causing it to happen, yet they were thinking that it was because of their own might. They were doing it with the help of God. Isaiah 37:26 "Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps." God is now speaking to Sennacherib and the Assyrians. God is saying that He formed those rivers and mountains even from the first earth age, and it is He that can bring down the defenses of cities into ruinous heaps. God is telling Sennacherib not to get a big head over what has happened, for it was I that caused it all to happen. Isaiah 37:27 "Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass of the housetops, and as corn blasted before it could be grown." God is reminding Sennacherib that those small nations that you conquered did not have an army. God is saying that He made them as the grass of the field, to where you could just walk right over them. You didn't do any great battle, for I allowed them all to place their hope in their false gods, where there is no power. The analogy that God is giving to Sennacherib is that God made Sennacherib as the hot blast of the east wind, that caused the corn to blast in the field. God is the one that caused these nations not to mature into a real strength, but to die in the field before the harvest time. God is telling Sennacherib that He was being used as this blast to bring down these people, because I already had it set up for My sake. Friend, God is trying to show us that He will do this also in your life if you will let Him. He knows what problems are ahead of you that you can't see, and God is forewarning us of those things that will take place. When you are forewarned it is to be armed for the battle to come. God will cause things to take place exactly as it is written in His Word, and He can also cause your crops and business to be more successful, when you turn them over to Him. God can make things better for you, or He can bring great problems into your life. Don't wait for a calamity to enter your life to seek Him out, but enjoy the good life everyday. Isaiah 37:28 "But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against Me." God is telling Sennacherib that I know were you live, son; I know where you are going and when you are coming back. I even know what your very thoughts are when you set your rage against Me. Our Heavenly Father is in complete control. Isaiah 37:29 "Because thy rage against Me, and thy tumult, is come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.' " Friend, this should remind us immediately of the Scripture in Ezekiel 38, 39 concerning to how God will do the same thing at the time of the end to the enemies of God. Then God will also put his hooks into "the chief prince", "Rosh" in the Hebrew, which in the vulgate is "Rush" and as a nation became know as "Russia", and drag him and his allies to a point where they will all be destroyed. It is not their people that shall all be destroyed, but their system that still exists and is against God. It is the same communistic system that is trying to inch into our government today. It is a system that brings about genocide for those that oppose it, they kill off the minds that are able to think and know the truth, and keep the dregs that are left. Ezekiel 38:3 "And say, `Thus saith the Lord God; `Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:" Ezekiel 38:4 "And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:" So in Isaiah 37:29 God has spoken to the Assyrian king, and now He is going to speak directly to king Hezekiah. Isaiah 37:30 "And this shall be a sign unto thee, `Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof." A sign is something that is given ahead of time to give a warning of trouble ahead. God is the same in all ages and at all times, and this sign is given to us as much as it is for Hezekiah. In the first two years you will reap what is known as a volunteer crop, in agriculture. So what is the sign that is given here? We know what the type of this indicates, for it is the hour of the Assyrian and when we were told back in Isaiah 14 we were told that it was the type of the Antichrist. What is important here is the number of years that were involved, and what we were to be doing in those years. The famine that would be coming in the end times, Amos tells us that is was not for bread to eat nor water to drink. Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:" We are talking about the three and one half years that Antichrist would be on earth, ruling over His kingdom. It was the time of the sowing, the maturing of the crop and the harvest of that crop. It was the full time until the full birth of the new age could actually come forth. We know from Revelation 9:5, 10 that this period has been shortened to a five month period of time for the elect's sake. Jesus spoke of this time in Matthew 24:21, 22. Matthew 24:21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Matthew 34:22 "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." We make such an issue of this matter because God has told us that this period is a sign to us, that we had better become sealed in our minds of this period ahead of time. In that it is a sign, we should be aware of this time as a type and what shall happen during this period. God is in control at this time, and He will take care of those that took the time to understand the signs in advance of the trouble. God will continue to provide for you as long as you use common sense which is given in His Word. Every detail of what is written concerning these days in His Word shall come to pass exactly as it is written. Remember from Isaiah 10, God fore-warned the House of Judah that the Assyrian would come against them if they did not come back to Him. Isaiah 10:5 "O, Assyrian! the rod of Mine anger, and the staff in their hand is Mine indignation," Isaiah 10:6 "I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the People of My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets." This was over fourteen years before the fact of the coming of the Assyrian, to prepare themselves for the coming, and to allow themselves to change the heathen ways, and go to God to intercede on their behalf. No, they kept doing what they were doing until all the kingdom had fallen, and the enemy was at the gates of Jerusalem, their capital. When there was no one else to turn to, and Sennacherib's army had them on the wall, these religious leaders were still trying to cover up the truth with their lies; and as Rabshakeh said back in Isaiah 36:12: Isaiah 36:12 "But Rabshakeh said, "Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?" The people were finished, and they knew it, yet they kept listening to these leaders that gave them a false hope. It was at the very end, that final day of their lives that they turned to God's prophet and listened to what he had to say. They waited until there was tragedy in their family, and then the ran to God and cried out, "O God help me!" What do you think God thinks of a spoiled child like that? Do you think that they deserve His help, when the only time they turn to Him is when there is tragedy in their lives? Our Heavenly Father looked over them in this case and instead of punishing them, he told them how to survive this time. The point to this verse is don't wait until after you have passed the signs, and are moving upon that dangerous place to seek His help. Pay attention to all the signs, to every part of His Word, for they will all help you fall into that troubled time when the Antichrist is coming to bring his evil upon the earth. Just as Sennacherib and his army came upon the walls of Jerusalem, so also will Satan come upon this earth with his army of fallen angels, only if you wait until that time to pay attention to the signs of the times, it will be to late. On that date God will allow you to be turned over to Satan if you do not have the seal, or knowledge of these signs in your mind [forehead] in advance. Revelation 9:4 "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, either any tree but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." Satan and his fallen angels are not coming to earth to harm any animal, plant or part of nature. They are coming to do battle spiritually with all the people on the face of this earth. Friend, the seal of God is what are the signs and warnings of His coming so that we will be warned in advance and prepare for that time. Our minds are "in our foreheads", and God is going to turn over to Satan all those that do not have that seal in their minds. If you are looking to rapture out of here, you have already taken the name and number of the Antichrist, for there is no rapture, and those that teach it are taking away the seal from your mind. You will be like those sitting on the wall in Hezekiah's day that were about to eat their own dung and so on, because those religious leaders would rather the truth be kept from you, and have you go down with them. Wake up brother and sister, the time is coming real soon. You can know what the future brings, by reading it is our Father's Word. Ask Him for the help to understand all of it. God not only changes other people's minds, but he can change your mind by enlarging its understanding a bit. Remember three and one half years is a sign from the Lord to us living in the time of the end. Isaiah 37:31 "And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:" "The remnant" is the "elect" of our generation. In that day there will be some action by the elect of God, are you prepared to be a part of that action? Isaiah 37:32 "For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.' " "Zeal" is what drives a person to do what he or she does. It is caused by the emotions of that person, and on that day when the remnant or elect of God make their stand, the Holy Spirit of God will be there to place His words in their mouth. It will be God speaking through them by the Holy Spirit, with a willing elect making the stand at the time. Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before-hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not he that speak, but the Holy Ghost [Spirit]." The Zeal of the Living God will cause all the signs of the end times to come to pass exactly as it is written. Spiritually speaking, most people, even Christians are starving to death today. There are so few teachers qualified to teach God's Word today, that the people are starving from the lack of spiritual instruction for the times coming upon us. It seems today the most of those charge with teaching the Word of God could care less of the signs that God has given that apply to us. I love the zeal of my Heavenly Father, and he brings to pass every last event that is written in His Word, gor it shows me that God does have complete control of all men and events, even those that deal with the devil himself. Friend, don't be deceived but pay attention to all the signs and know the times that you are living in. The only way to safety is through the blood of Jesus Christ unto salvation, through repentance, and then to follow all the sings that He has given in His Word. When someone asks you; "Are you saved?" you had better know that there are two messiahs, and that only one is genuine, and that the other one comes as an imposter. You had better know the one that you are saved by, and you had better be waiting patiently for Him. He (Christ our Lord and savior) is the last and genuine one. When a pet is claimed by two different people, the pet knows which one is his true owner. The pet has been taught to by his owner to love and give obedience to him only. If you are taught to love and respect the first messiah that comes, and that this imposter supposedly cares for you, and plans to fly you out of here when the trouble comes; THEN when this supernatural false savior shows up to claim you and fly you out of here, you will gladly run to him upon his arrival in error. The instant you run to this false Christ, you will have chosen your messiah, and the salvation by faith in Jesus Christ is not offered to you any more. Many eyes are closed to the truth in this generation, but our Father controls the amount of their visibility for their own protection. Isaiah 37:33 "Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, "He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it." God had used king Sennacherib as his servant, only this servant had over-stepped his bounds. God is telling Hezekiah that He will prevent Sennacherib's army from even shooting an arrow into the city, or even building a bank to march over the wall. This is how it was done when a place was to hard to take. Isaiah 37:34 "By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city," saith the Lord." Hezekiah has already poured out his heart to the Lord, and in that this city of Jerusalem is God favorite spot on earth, God will protect the city from harm. We can see God's emotions for this place and for His people, once they have turned back to Him. Isaiah 37:35 "For I will defend this city to save it for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake." God is telling Hezekiah that the reason that He is going to save the city of Jerusalem is not for their sake, for they simply don't deserve it, but for the sake of His own name and His servant David. Remember that it would be out of the roots of Jesse, that would come David, and would also come the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. This is the place where Jesus would be crucified by the Kenite Jews, and raise from the dead after the third day. It is also from Jerusalem that Christ would ascend back into heaven after the resurrection, to be our advocate at the right hand of the Father. It was also from Jerusalem that on the day of Pentecost, the hundred and twenty believers that waited and were filled with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and went forth to tell the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ. What God did for these people of Jerusalem, He did because of the zeal that was within Him to keep His Word. Not for those rebellious souls that have sunk to heathen worship, in their idolatry. They deserved worse, only God chose to save them. Our God is a jealous God. Isaiah 37:36 "Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses." Friend, while Hezekiah is on his knees in the temple before God, outside the gates of Jerusalem the angel of the Lord swept down on that Assyrian camp that night and killed one hundred and eighty five thousand men [185.000] men. When the rest of the army saw those dead corpses laying around the camp, they were all ready to pack up, and get out. Our Heavenly Father can handle any situation that can arise, and with these dead corpses in sight I'm sure it didn't take long to break camp. The sure victory in the minds of the Assyrians from the night before, was just a dream and God would see that it would never come true. Isaiah 37:37 "So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh." Jonah went to this same city of Nineveh some ninety years earlier to preach the salvation of God and save the city. Though Jonah knew the prophecy concerning Nineveh, and the Assyrians, concerning the house of Israel, he tried every way possible to not go to Nineveh, but in the end, God spared the city. When Jonah was coughed up by the great fish in the sight of the Assyrians, they believed Jonah was sent from their fish god, Dagon, and believed everything that Jonah said. It was these same people that conquered the House of Israel, the ten tribes to the north, and scattered them from their home land. This House of Israel were taken to a place in northern Iraq where they migrated through the Caucasus mountains, to settle throughout Western Europe, and America, and today these people are known as "Caucasians" after the event of their migrations. Isaiah 37:38 "And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead." This god "Nisroch" is the great eagle, and in the book of Obadiah there is another great eagle which is a symbol of God's conquering force in the end times. However this god Nisroch was only of type of the one that wanted to be the great eagle. Sennacherib's own sons smote him with the sword and then these two sons fled into the area of Armenia, and in the Hebrew text the place is "Ararat". Sennacherib's other son Esar-haddon took Sennacherib's throne to rule. This verse is recorded also in II Kings 19:36, 37. II Kings 19:36-37 "So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead." There is a record of Sennabcherib's "will", or "deed of gift" And it is recorded on a cylinder and stored in the British museum. That "will" states that Sennacherib gives all to Esarhaddon. This "will" probably led to the fight recorded there between him and his two brother, which caused Sennacherib's murder. Remember that God spoke exactly what was to happen through Isaiah in verse seven, and what happened was the fulfillment of that prophecy. This should be a witness to each of us that what God has spoken of our generation, and the things that will come to pass shall also be fulfilled. We are living in a very exciting time to live, for when you come to know the events of the end times, we also can see each of them being fulfilled before our eyes. Just as Jerusalem was saved here at the death of Sennacherib, the Jerusalem of God holy city will be saved on that first day of the Millennium age. The temple will be built and the throne of God shall be established there. The true Son of God shall return and rule from that Jerusalem. This then is the close of the prophecies concerning the Assyrians. The next chapter takes a look at the type of person that Hezekiah becomes, with a closer look at his inner-self.
Home .~ Plough .~ Seeds .~ Vine .~ Potter .~ Seasons .~ Sonshine .~ Rain .~ Field |