Anticipated Reign Series

EDEN. THE GARDEN. PARADISE. THE PLACE CREATED BY GOD IN WHICH HE SAID "IT IS GOOD!" A PLACE THAT DEFINED PERFECTION AND HOLINESS. A PLACE WHERE GOD COULD DWELL AND COMMUNE WITH HIS CREATION.

A PLACE OF PEACE THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN AND IS NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE DUE TO HUMANITIES DESTRUCTIVE CHOICE TO FLIRT WITH SIN AND HAVE ITS OWN WAY.

A PLACE THAT GOD DID NOT WILLINGLY CHOOSE TO PROHIBIT, BUT A LOCATION WE LOST THE RIGHT TO BE IN. THE APPROPRIATE RESULT FOR THOSE WHO WILLINGLY CHOOSE TO SHUT THEMSELVES OFF FROM A LIVING AND PERSONAL GOD.

THE END RESULT OF REJECTING GOD WILL ALWAYS BE TO DWELL IN A PLACE WHERE HE IS NOT. HELL. A PLACE GOD DOES NOT WILL FOR US TO BE, BUT A DESTINATION OF OUR OWN CHOOSING.

OUR DESIRE, AS CHRISTIANS, IS TO AVOID THE SOLITUDE OF SELFISHNESS AND OPEN OURSELVES TO THE PRESENCE OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD LONG FOR.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE HUMAN AND INCAPABLE OF REPAIRING THE DAMAGE THAT WE HAVE INFLICTED UPON OURSELVES. BUT THERE IS HOPE BECAUSE THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS CAPABLE OF "FIXING" THIS PROBLEM.

THERE IS SOMEONE FILLED WITH POWER AND MIGHT THAT CAN NOT ONLY REPAIR THE DAMAGE, BUT HEAL OUR WOUNDS, RESTORE US TO WHOLENESS AND BACK INTO A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONE. JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH, IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE ISAIAH’S PROPHETIC MESSAGE. HE IS THE SHOOT THAT BREAKS FORTH FROM THE STUMP OF JESSE, THE BRANCH THAT WILL BEAR FRUIT AND JUDGE WITH SUPREME RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THE GROWTH COMING OUT FROM THE STUMP OF JESSE’S BRANCH IS THE OUTPOURING OF GOD’S DIVINE GRACE TO RESTORE HIS PEOPLE AND HIS CREATION BACK TO HOW IT WAS FIRST INTENDED TO BE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

HE SPEAKS OF THE ANTICIPATED REIGN OF CHRIST HERE ON EARTH FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS. THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST IS WHAT WE ARE WAITING FOR TO BRING US ULTIMATE PEACE.

THE PEOPLE NEEDED TO HEAR THESE WORDS OF HOPE. THE WORD "STUMP" SIGNIFIED THAT THEIR DAVIDIC KINGDOM HAD BEEN BROKEN AND CUT OFF BY THE OPPRESSIVE EMPIRE OF ASSYRIA. THE GREAT DYNASTY OF KING DAVID HAD BEEN CUT DOWN LIKE A TREE.

ASSYRIAN DOMINATION HAD CRUSHED THE ONCE PROUD JEWISH NATION’S IDENTITY. EVERYONE SPOKE OF THE THRONE OF DAVID. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOREVER. NOW THEY WERE SLAVES AGAIN. WHERE IS OUR PEACE AND OUR HOPE?

YOU CANNOT BLAME GOD FOR THE OPPRESSION. THEY WERE WARNED BY THE PROPHETS. IN THE FIRST TEN CHAPTERS OF ISAIAH WE READ HOW ISRAEL WOULD FACE THE JUDGMENT OF GOD IF THEY CONTINUED ON WITH BEING UNFAITHFUL TO GOD BY TURNING AWAY TO SERVE THE PAGAN GODS OF THE NATIONS AROUND HER.

ISAIAH PROPHESIES THAT ISRAEL WILL BE INVADED BY THE ASSYRIANS AND CARRIED INTO EXILE. THEY DID NOT HEED THE WARNING. THE ASSYRIANS CAME AND PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED AND NOW IT WAS TOO LATE.

IN CHAPTER 11:1 ISAIAH CALLS THE LINEAGE OF THE DAVIDIC DYNASTY THE “STUMP OF JESSE.” THIS IS THE ONLY TIME IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT DAVID’S LINE IS CALLED BY HIS FATHER’S NAME.

ISAIAH PREDICTS THAT THE DAVIDIC DYNASTY WILL BE COMPLETELY CUT OFF, SO THAT ALL THAT REMAINS IS THE STUMP OF ITS FAMILY TREE.

HOWEVER, IN CHAPTER 11 THE PROPHET ALSO PREDICTS THE FUTURE RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM THROUGH THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF A DAVIDIC MESSIAH.

ISAIAH STATES THAT OUT OF THE STUMP OF JESSE’S FAMILY TREE A “SHOOT” OR A FRESH STEM WILL SPROUT AND THAT THE SPROUT WILL GROW INTO FULL BLOOM UNTIL IT BECOMES THE BRANCH OF THE LORD.

THE MESSAGE THAT ISAIAH PORTRAYS TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE. THAT WHAT GOD HAS CUT OFF IS ALSO THAT WHICH GOD RESTORES. THAT THE ONE WHO JUDGES HIS PEOPLE FOR THEIR SINS, IS ALSO THE ONE WHO FORGIVES THEM AND RESTORES PEACE.

ISAIAH’S MESSAGE TO ISRAEL IS THEIR NEED TO KNOW THIS COMING PRINCE OF PEACE. BUT, A COST WAS INVOLVED. THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL COULDN’T HAVE THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO. THEY COULDN’T GO ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS, IGNORE GOD AND ASSUME THAT THE BLESSINGS WOULD COME TO THEM AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT EFFORT OR CHANGE.

REPENTANCE WAS STILL NECESSARY. A CHOOSING OF SIDES MUST TAKE PLACE. WE MUST CHOOSE TO SERVE THE GODS OF THIS WORLD OR SERVE THE ONE TRUE LIVING GOD OF ALL CREATION.

BEFORE YOU CAN ANTICIPATE THE REIGN OF CHRIST’S MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, YOU MUST FIRST LET HIM RULE YOUR HEART AND LIFE. CHRIST WHO WILL REIGN AS KING OF ALL CREATION IN PEACE AND JUSTICE MUST FIRST REIGN AS LORD AND SAVIOR OF YOUR LIFE.

WHEN PUTTING ETERNITY INTO PERSPECTIVE WE CANNOT ALLOW THE CONTENTMENT AND COMFORT OUR WORLD OFFERS US TO ROB US OF THE CHANCE TO LOOK HONESTLY IN OUR HEARTS TO KNOW IF WE REALLY HAVE CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.