Gluten Free & God Seeking: Life-Study of Isaiah

Showing posts with label Life-Study of Isaiah. Show all posts

Monday, June 24, 2019

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Seeing Christ's Resurrection & Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Isaiah 53 gives not only an incredible prophecy about the Lord's crucifixion, it also mentions His burial, resurrection, and ascension. Over all of these details God exercised His sovereign control to match all the Old Testament prophecies.

View from a friend's cabin

Without the help of chapter 49 in the Life-Study of Isaiah, I wouldn't have seen how this chapter also contains prophecies concerning both the Lord's resurrection and ascension. Isaiah 53:10-11 says, "When He makes Himself an offering for sin, He will see a seed, He will extend His days, and the pleasure of Jehovah will prosper in His hand. He will see the issue of the travail of His soul, and He will be satisfied; by the knowledge of Him, the righteous One, My Servant, will make the many righteous; and He will bear their iniquities." .

Without this chapter I wouldn't have picked up that the word seed here implies all the believers in John 12 that would come forth when Christ as the grain of wheat fell into the earth and died. Nor would I have joined the Lord seeing the issue of His travail to the Lord selling all in His death to gain the church as the pearl of great price. I was impressed again and again with the light in these chapters!

These excerpts on pages 382-383 of chapter 49 help explain what's being unveiled in these verses in Isaiah:

"Third, the prophets' report and Jehovah's revelation unveil Christ as the resurrected life-giver....Although the term life-giver is not used in these verses, the thought of a life-giver is implied in the seed mentioned in verse 10. That seed surely is produced by life....The seed produced by Christ in His resurrection is His believers for the building up of His Body as His continuation" (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).

In Isaiah 53:12 the Lord's ascension is unveiled where it speaks of dividing the spoil with the strong. In this section Witness Lee ties this verse to what Paul's talking about Christ leading a train of captives in Ephesians 4:8. We're the spoil the Lord took from Satan.

At the end of this chapter he says we have to believe Isaiah's report that this Christ who through His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled God's eternal desire!! I hope you will take the time to read these chapters online.

You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6 Be the Mighty God?
Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2
Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:26?
Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

The record of Isaiah 53 is very moving to me. It's hard to believe that this book was written about 700 years before Christ was even born. The details given here are phenomenal when compared to the actual events portrayed in the Gospels.

A friend climbing a nearby mountain

Verse 1 of this chapter says: Who has believed our report?/ And to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed?" In chapter 49 of the Life-Study of Isaiah Witness Lee says that Jesus is the arm of Jehovah mentioned here. He was the tender plant growing up before God in verse 2. And He didn't choose to be good looking either.

Isaiah even foretold that Jesus wouldn't have a life of ease just because He was God. I'm glad that the Lord was willing to be a man of sorrows so that He could relate with us on every level. I really love that verse in Hebrews 4:15 that says we don't have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, but One who has been tried in all respects like us yet without sin. We see a lot of these sufferings from the way the scribes and Pharisees treated Jesus--even going so far as to plot to kill Him. It's hard to believe that the hearts of the Jewish leaders were so hard.

Probably the part of Isaiah 53 that touches me the most are verses 4-6 where Isaiah tells us: Surely He has borne our sicknesses, And carried our sorrows; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded because of our transgression; He was crushed because of our iniquities; And the chastening of our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we have been healed. We all like sheep have gone astray; Each of us has turned to his own way, and Jehovah has the caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon Him.

Many years ago I read this article by a physician about the physiological affect of the Lord's crucifixion on His body. I had never considered before that when the Lord was beaten by the Roman guards they most likely used a cat-o-nine whip that ripped the skin off of His back. So when He was nailed to the cross, which probably wasn't sanded, He had to scrape His back up and down on that rough beam to catch a breath. Think about it--this process was excruciating for Him! But He was willing to bear the smiting, wounding, crushing, and chastening that Isaiah speaks about on OUR behalf. Isaiah saw that Jesus would come like John the Baptist said in John 1:29 as the Lamb of God who would TAKE AWAY the sin of the world.

Reaching the summit!

What I see here in Isaiah 53 is the depths of God's great love for us. He wasn't willing to let man go, so He became incarnated. He knew that fallen man needed a sin offering that wouldn't just cover his sins but one that would heal man from the inside out. And He was willing to take our place to accomplish that. Now that deserves a hallelujah!

You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Monday, April 29, 2019

Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:16?

I learned way back in the Life-Study of Genesis that there’s a line concerning God's building that runs throughout the entire Bible. So I wasn’t too surprised when I read about the cornerstone of God's building in chapter 43 of the Life-Study of Isaiah. I googled cornerstone a few weeks ago when the believers I fellowship with were doing a study on Christ as the cornerstone of God’s spiritual building. I found out that it’s the first stone set in the construction of a stone foundation, and it’s important because all the stones are set in reference to it. I kept this in mind as I checked out different verses.

I was in California with my family on spring break.

That week I looked up and wrote out a lot of the verses mentioned in this Life-Study, and this is what I found out. The first time the word cornerstone is mentioned is in Psalm 118:22-23: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is from Jehovah; it is wonderful in our sight." When I read this, I wondered if any of the Jews understood the spiritual significance of this passage.

The next time it’s mentioned again is in Isaiah 28:16, and again the reader might wonder if this is just referring to an actual stone they used in building their temple. "... Indeed I lay in Zion as a foundation a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a foundation firmly established; He who believes will not hasten away."

In Matthew 21:42 the Lord takes the liberty to apply the cornerstone mentioned in the Old Testament to Himself. But it’s not clear until you read Ephesians why this is so important; so hang in there with me: "Jesus said to them, have you never read in the Scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected this has become the head of the corner…."

When Peter was preaching the gospel to the Jews in Acts 4, he also quotes from these Old Testament passages on the cornerstone: "This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved."

From the Life-Study of Acts I was touched to see that God’s salvation is for His building! This is a huge revelation that Peter gave in this gospel message. But as I was reading this, I realized that you have to keep in mind that Peter’s a Jew speaking to Jews in Jerusalem. The gospel hadn't spread to the Gentile world yet. It's like God was getting their hearts prepared for a big shift.

The Lord really gave the Apostle Paul insight into the significance of the cornerstone in Ephesians 2:18-20—here’s a part of that: "For through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have access in one Spirit unto the Father being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone." Earlier in this chapter Paul mentions that on the cross the Lord made one new man of two people—the Jews and the Gentiles.

Here for the first time it is evident that Christ is the cornerstone who JOINS these two very different peoples into one Body. And the Lord is doing the same thing today with all the members of His Body, He is the cornerstone joining us to one another so He can have a spiritual house that expresses Him! I like Witness Lee's explanation on page 304-305 in chapter 43 of the cornerstone:

The New Testament tells us based upon Psalm 188:22-24, that Christ is the chief cornerstone (Rom. 9:33; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11-12; Eph. 2:20). According to the New Testament, Christ as the cornerstone joins together the two walls, one of the Jewish believers and the other of the Gentile believers. Because Christ took the lead to join together the Jews and the Gentiles, He is the first cornerstone. Even today we are not only held by Him as our foundation stone but also joined together by Him as our cornerstone. I am joined to you, and you are joined to me. We are joined together by Christ. Without Him, we are separate and detached....Very few Christians know that Jesus Christ, their Savior is the cornerstone. Our Savior, Jesus saves us into God's building and joins us to God's building (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).

The last time cornerstone is mentioned is in 1 Peter 2:6-7 and now as an older believer Peter is encouraging the believers about Christ building up the believers into a spiritual house: For it is contained in Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious….The stone which the builders rejected this has become the head of the corner. This thread on the cornerstone weaves throughout Scripture, and it’s impressive that it’s quoted in different ways six times!! That must mean it's pretty important. This reminds me of Matthew 16:16 when the Lord said, "I will build My church…." And one important way He makes that happen is by being the cornerstone!!! Only He can join so many diverse people and backgrounds together into His dwelling place!!

Life-Study of Isaiah:
You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2

From our walk on the first day of Spring

Have you ever wondered why the first thing God said in Genesis was "Let there be light?" I found the answer in chapter 37 of the Life-Study of Isaiah. Listen to this concise, Einstein sounding sentence—“In the entire universe, light is the key to life.” I also read in this chapter that if the sun didn’t shine for just 3 weeks many things would die. I know I feel more energetic when it’s sunny. One time I did a Google search on the benefits of sunlight, and I was impressed.

Anyway back to where I was going with all of this. Light in the Bible and in most literature usually symbolizes God or some noble characteristic of God. And anything dark or sinister usually symbolizes something evil. And because of the fall there’s now something called spiritual darkness. That’s no doubt because Satan God's enemy is the prince of darkness. Keep this in mind when you read Isaiah 9:2 which says: ”… The people who walked in the darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death light has shined.”

God showed Isaiah hundreds of years before God's incarnation that Christ would come as that light. This is echoed again in Matthew 4:16 "The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light: and those sitting in the region and shadow of death, to them light has risen."

And John clearly tells us in his gospel that Jesus is the true light: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:4-5)" In the book of Colossians Paul tells us that when we're saved we're transferred out of the authority of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). I enjoyed reading Witness Lee’s testimony on page 255 about how he experienced Christ’s shining into him when he got saved:

Our salvation was a shining of Christ as the great light upon us. When He shined upon us, we were saved….By His shining, darkness is gone. When darkness is gone, everything negative is gone. Before I was saved as a teenager, my mother had a difficult time dealing with me, but when I was nineteen years old, Christ shined upon me. My love for the things of the world was gone. My mother wondered what had happened to me. Even though many outward negative things were dealt with, many inward negative things remained within me. This is why we need more shining. The inner shining is Christ’s saving” (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994 Print).

He brings out in this chapter when people's hearts are enlightened, they open up to receive the Lord. This puts a prayer in my heart that the Lord would shine into the hearts of all the people around us!

Sunday, March 3, 2019

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & Isaiah 9:6 Be the Mighty God?

Two of the greatest prophesies concerning Christ are in the book of Isaiah. That's how chapter 35 starts in the Life-Study of Isaiah. And of course, that got my attention. In this chapter Witness Lee talks about Isaiah 7:14 which says: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14.

The other great prophecy is Isaiah 9:6. For a child is born to us,/ A Son is given to us;/ And the government/ Is upon His shoulder;/ And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,/ Mighty God,/ Eternal Father,/ Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

     As I read this chapter and thought about it, I realized that Isaiah 7:14 unfolds one of the most profound truths in the Bible. The other in Isaiah 9:6 further unveils that the Son of God IS the eternal Father.  Both of these verses present truths that have baffled many throughout history.

    I am thankful for the clear presentation of these truths to God's people in Witness Lee's exposition of the Bible in his Life-Studies that run from Genesis to Revelation! ! And you can even read them online, but I like hard copies so I can write in the margins.

     I really liked the simple and easy to understand way that brother Lee used to talk about the miracle of not only in the Lord's actual birth but the fact that He was a child with two natures!! Read these excerpts slowly so you don't miss anything. This is from page 240 and 241 of chapter 35:

The child born of a human virgin is Immanuel, God with man (Isa. 7:14, 9:6a). He was a human child born of a human virgin, yet He was also the very God. Isaiah was written about 700 years before Christ's incarnation, yet it speaks of a child born who would be the very God. This child was a "God-man child," a child of a dual nature, the divine nature and human nature....Before HIs birth, there had never been such a human being, a man mingled with God (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1994, Print).

      It touches me whenever I hear how God became incarnated so He could do two huge things--become our Savior to save us from sin and to reconcile us back to God. Without human blood Jesus couldn't have died in our place, but without being divine, He couldn't have satisfied all of God's righteous requirements to bring us back to Him.

   The offerings in the Old Testament type show us the lamb had to be spotless and without blemish, and as a man without sin, Jesus became like John the Baptist declared "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Doesn't this completely astound you?!

    But all of this amazement doesn't stop here.  Have you ever thought that when you opened your heart and received the Lord as your Savior, you received the Lord's divine life and nature? This makes you also a person with a dual nature; now you're a human being with God's life. In his writings Witness Lee has made this profound truth absolutely clear. I hope you can take the time and read this Life-Study.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:
You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations:

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