Isaiah 53
The great prophet Isaiah prophesied many things before they happened. As an example he prophesied that the people of Judah would be carried into captivity by Babylon many years before it happened, and at the time of the prophecy, Babylon wasn’t even a viable political power.
He proved to be a very reliable prophet indeed. In chapters 40-55 Isaiah describes Jerusalem as lying in ruins, Israel in exile in Babylonia and the Exile has lasted a long time. The people of Israel are in great distress. God’s anger lies heavily upon them because of their sins. They think that God has forgotten them. Some of them have come to regard the place of their exile as their homeland. But Isaiah prophesies that God is about to liberate his people, and he urges them to put their trust in God’s promise. Isaiah prophesied all this 100 years before it happened. Amazing.
Not only that, but Isaiah prophesied that a king named Cyrus would allow the Jewish exiles to return home. Isaiah prophesied this 170 years before it happened. King Cyrus, a relatively unknown Persian warlord, overthrew the Babylonian kingdom in 539 BC and established himself as king over all Babylonia. Isa 44:28 declares it – “God says of Cyrus, `He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid.”
Yes, time proved that Isaiah was a reliable prophet. Would everyone agree that Isaiah has an impressive record of accuracy in prophesying future events? (Pause)
Now I want us to focus on a prophesy that Isaiah made 700 years before it happened. Wow, imagine making a prophecy that came true 700 years later.
OK, let’s read it – turn to Isaiah, chapter 53
53:1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Who is this prophesy about? (Pause) (Jesus)
How do you know? (Pause) (Because you’ve read the gospels and this prophecy matches the life, death and resurrection of Christ with pinpoint accuracy.)
God makes plain his plan of salvation through His only Son Jesus Christ hundreds of times in the Old Testament. But it wasn’t until it really happened that mankind stood up and took notice.
Mankind was hopelessly lost to sin until God became a flesh and blood man, born of the Virgin Mary and laid in a manger that first Christmas in Bethlehem. By the way, the virgin birth of Christ and the other events surrounding His birth were also prophesied by Isaiah and other prophets. We shouldn’t be surprised, God made a promise to send us a redeemer and he kept his promise.
How many of you know that God keeps his promises?
Let me tell you about a promise that God has made to those of us who have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life. The promise is that we will have a new home, an eternal home and nothing on earth can be compared with it.
Rev 21:22-27
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev 21:1-5
21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
Revelation 22
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
How many of you are thirsty for a drink of the water of life today? The Holy Spirit of Jesus is here today to pour out his water of life on you.
Do you know for sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life? Who is the Lamb? Jesus is the Lamb. Is your name in His book or not? You won’t go to heaven unless your name is recorded there. (Pause)
Listen, God is absolutely true to his word – If He says he’s going to do it – it’s going to happen! This is not a fairy tale, you’ve seen for yourself that the prophetic words of God that are recorded in this book (hold up Bible) are 100% accurate and they will all come to pass.
Do you know what happens to you if your name isn’t in the book?
Rev 20:11-15
“11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
The lake of fire? You don’t want to go there. The lake of fire is Hell – where there will be eternal suffering, 24/7 365 days a year for eternity. Hell is no joke – it’s real, it exists and it stands waiting for you if your name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
If you are not absolutely 100% sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life today – right now – then you need to pray the prayer of faith and believe that Jesus died for you and make Him Lord of your life.
You may have prayed the prayer of faith before, but let me tell you something, if you aren’t currently serving the Lord, you have no guarantee of your salvation. In fact your name has probably been erased, blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life and you are in danger of perishing in Hell.
If that’s you, you are in peril, and you need to make things right with God. You need to recommit your life to God and pray the prayer of faith again.
