THE ESSENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL

The essence of the Christian gospel is this; “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim. 1:15

Scripture never says He came to set us an example, and those who say this and teach it as the spirit of the gospel, distort the scriptures to their own ruin. Many in Christendom have come to believe Christianity to be no more than a life of respectable behavior and that it is all that God requires. This idea is in effect the basis of all religion and it is this belief, which separates religion from the truth. The truth is that Jesus Christ died for sinners (Rom. 5:8); but if we are able to gain acceptance with God by our respectable behavior, then his coming was needless, his death was for nothing, and why? Because if we were able to please God by our own efforts, religion would be sufficient, his coming would be unnecessary. The fact that the Bible tells us that Christ came to save sinners is God’s declaration of man’s inability to save himself; and the fact that none of us are righteous (Rom. 3:10) is evident to anyone who measures himself against the standards of perfection.

Those who protest that such a comparison is unfair do not look beyond this present life. In their ignorance of God, people compare themselves to other people and inevitably reach a satisfactory estimation. Their expectation of eternity is simply a mystical continuation of this life without its bitterness and heartache. They have no understanding of the righteousness of God’s kingdom and no comprehension of the holiness of God.

If we are honest with ourselves we must see that we are not righteous as God is righteous, not holy as God is holy, and therefore not reconciled to God. It is because of this, and the fact that we cannot achieve that reconciliation by our own standards of righteousness, that we are lost. If we are honest with ourselves we must come to the realization that we need God to save us, to reconcile us to himself and it is at this point of our need that the Scriptures reassure us, in that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim. 1:15 and “ all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ”. 2 Cor.5: 18

Why is Jesus Christ so important? In the gospel of Luke 1:35, we are told that the child who would be born of the Virgin Mary would be God’s son; not the son of a human father, but the result of the Spirit’s power impregnating the womb of Mary. Her child would be the son of God. In this way the Saviour would be free from the inherent sin of Adam, and by constant obedience to the Father would remain free from personal sin. Why is this necessary and what has this to do with our salvation?

The ‘wages of sin is death’ Rom. 6:23a (and because of inherent and personal sin we are all dead to God), therefore to pay the wages of sin one must first have the necessary assets. Those assets are a perfect sinless life, which Jesus Christ in his birth and in his life demonstrated to all of creation. The wages of sin were paid when the perfect Saviour sacrificed his life; bore the wages of our sin in his own body on the cross (1Peter 2:24) and died. It was in his death that the penalty for our sins was met; it is in his resurrection from the dead where we have our guarantee of present and future salvation.

It is by God’s grace that we are saved, it is not of human righteousness nor of any work we can accomplish; salvation is ours through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ the Saviour and simply a matter of believing and accepting all that he achieved on our behalf. When we do no more than believe, God’s holiness is uncompromised and he is free to give to us eternal life and an inheritance in his eternal kingdom.

God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, will not perish but will have everlasting life. John 3:16

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31

SALVATION: FROM THE POWER OF SIN

 The one who says he has no sin is divorced from reality and blasphemous to boot, for he is calling God a liar and is devoid of truth himself.

1John 1:10

“If we claim we have not sinned, we make him (God) out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Having received the divine nature (2Peter 1:4) while still retaining the old nature, every child of God possesses two natures; one is incapable of sinning, and the other is incapable of holiness.

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires".

                                                      

2 Peter 1:2-9      

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these (Gods abundant grace and peace) he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”

Galatians   5:16-26 

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

And we have his provision to accomplish these things...

“If we confess our sins (not to men but to God), he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9. 

How can God forgive us our sin and cleanse us so lovingly and constantly as to insure our peace and joy?  Because he gave his life as a sacrifice for us, because he took our judgement upon himself that we might be freed from it.  The Father is faithful to the Son’s sacrifice and he is justified by that sacrifice to forgive and to cleanse those who, in faith, relate their sins to the Cross (in confession). 

     

1 John 3:9

“No-one who is born of God will continue to (live in) sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

HE THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD

1 John 3:23-24

 And this is God’s commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and also love one another as Christ gave us commandment.  And the one that keeps these commandments abides in Christ, and Christ in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit, which he has given us.

1 John 4:4

 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 5:1-5

 Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begets, loves those who are begotten of God.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.  For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 The rewards of such faith are enumerated in Revelation chap.  2 & 3 where at the end of each spiritual evaluation of the churches, we are expressly told: “To him that overcomes…

…will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.  …He shall not be hurt of the second death …I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it …To him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.  And I will give him the morning star …The same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels…I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name …I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

            

If we are to accept the reality of such rewards, we must also accept the reality of such evaluations, with all of there condemnation.

“I know your works, and your labour, and your patience, and how you can’t bear them which are evil: and you have them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate".

 "…I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them, which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things, which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

"…I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

"…I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I  will put  upon  you  none  other burden. But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come."

"… I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things, which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. ⁴Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy."

"…I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

"…I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

SONS OF GOD (Genesis 6)

The meaning to the term sons of God bene [ha]’elohim does refer to angelic beings.  This point is a proven and only requires an honest appraisal of the instances in the Old Testament where it occurs.  Those instances that state it directly are included here in full.

Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”

Job 2:1 “… there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.”

Job 38:7 “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

With these passages in mind we should then look at the other two verses in Genesis 6 

                   

Gen 6:2 “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”

Gen 6:4 “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

In answer to critics who believe the subject of Genesis 6:1-2 is men, I would point out that the word 'âdâm refers not to the man but to the species, to mankind (men and women) as the phrase 'born unto them' proves.

Genesis 6:1 "And it came to pass, when mankind began to multiply on the face of the earth (Men and women), and daughters were born unto them"

Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of mankind that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose."  

The reference in verse one is to the 'daughters of mankind'.

If the reference of verse two was to a godly line of Seth it would read "That the sons of mankind saw the daughters of mankind..."  ...For what purpose?

We must find the meaning of bene [ha]’elohim elsewhere, as has been done in the Job passages above.

Still not convinced that these 'sons of God' were angelic beings?

Then I would point out that the term and similar terms i.e. ‘Son of God’, ‘sons of God’, ‘son of God, ‘Children of God’, are all products of creation, NOT procreation.  Below are those who have one of these appellations attached to them and who are shown as being created.

Angels are spiritual beings so I think we can assume theirs was a spiritual not material creation.  When they were created is a moot point, but we know they shouted for joy at the laying of the earth’s foundations (Job 38:4-7) so we can say their creation was prior to the earth’s.

Adam was a direct creation and is called ‘the son of God’ (Luke 3:38).

Jesus was born of the virgin Mary as  Luke 1:35  states “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”.

Christians are referred to as children of God (1John 3:1) for we are all created in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).

The opponents to the proposal that Genesis 6:4 refers to angelic beings, reject these evidences, claiming the ‘sons of God’ are of the godly line of Seth who mated with ungodly women the ‘daughters of men’ (this is the so called Sethite view).  The proponents of this Sethite view probably have Cain as the culprit for the ungodly women for he displayed his ungodliness in the murder of Abel.

But physically Cain was as was his brother Seth; they were sons of physically perfect parents.  It takes several generations for genetic changes to be made and from the statistics we have of Og king of Bashan, those changes prior to the flood must have been massive indeed.  Og was one of the gigantic men after the flood 'also after that’ (Genesis 6:4) and was probably smaller than the ‘mighty men which were of old, men of renown’.

Below is a representation of Og against that of a normal man today.

How could intermarriage between human beings, even ungodly human beings on both sides, produce so great a mutation as is clearly revealed in scripture?  We have many centuries of such marriages yet we see and hear of no man of Og’s stature on secular record.  There have been tall men in photographic history, but not those whom you could compare to Og or call mighty men of renown.

To emphasize the rarity of gigantism today I also add the scriptural record of there being a number of tribes (tribes not individuals) such as Deuteronomy 2:10 mentions; “The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims”.  

Deuteronomy 2:19-21 speaks of the land of Ammon as being once recognized as a land of giants named Zamzummims “a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims”.  Much later we come across Goliath whose height is also given in the scriptures; he was going on ten foot.

Do a quick visual calculation on the picture above; on the left we have Og, a man thirteen foot tall against one approximately six foot tall… Goliath would be somewhere just below ‘Og’s’ shoulders.    

While we are on the subject of giants we should also answer the question, how could these mutant giants be ‘also after that’ if the originals were all destroyed by the flood?

It happened because either the genes produced by the mating of angelic ‘sons of God’ and the ‘daughters of men’ (Genesis 6:4) were in one of Noah’s son’s wives, or there was an unrecorded second angelic infiltration after the flood.

I single out Noah’s daughters in law because in Genesis 6:8-10 we are shown that Noah was a just man, a lawful righteous man who was ‘perfect in his generations (dore)’.  Noah could trace his ancestry back to Adam in a perfect unbroken posterity.  There is an emphasis here pointing out the purity of Noah’s genealogy in distinction to the impurity of the rest of the human race, an impurity that occurred after ‘the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men’.   I believe we can safely assume Noah was careful in his choice of a wife and his sons were just as pure in their genealogy. 

Notwithstanding this, for all his purity of descent Noah was never said to be a ‘son of God’ and neither was Seth; they were both descendants of Adam by procreation, not creation.

We also know that none of the line of Seth survived the flood so the Sethite view regarding the mighty men is untenable.

Another reason people oppose the ‘angelic sons of God’ view is the belief that ‘angels do not marry’.

But if we look at the only two scriptures that mention angels and marriage we will see they are likening the resurrection as a marriage-less state similar to that of the angels in heaven (Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25).  Heaven is a spiritual sphere, not material or fleshly; sex has no place in heaven.  Yet we know of certain angels who deliberately quit heaven.    

Jude 1:6  “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day”.

“Kept not their first estate” is to ‘put aside their original place’ with “left their own habitation” meaning to forsake their habitation or house.  These angels quit their original place (heaven) and forsook their habitation.

Habitation (the Greek oikētērion) is an interesting word.  It is used only twice in the Bible with the only other occurrence being in  2Corinthians 5:2-3 where it is used in regard to the Christian’s future bodily existence; a house oikētērion which is from heaven.

2Co 5:2-3 “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.”

The word is in relation to heaven in both cases, the angels left theirs, and we will be clothed upon by ours.  The significance of this cannot be lightly ignored. 

The significance is also accentuated in the very next verse, Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”.

The words ‘even as’ have the meaning ‘in the same manner’, and refer to these angels behaving like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by going after strange (different) flesh.  The ‘daughter’s of men’ would be very different from their own original heavenly state.

It is evident these beings are those mentioned in Peter 3:19-20 “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing"

The word "preached" kērussō is to herald, to proclaim a victory, and since it is a proclamation to those angels who had been disobedient in Noah’s day (prior to the flood) the proclamation would have been one of victory.

If we compare this with Colossians 2:14-15 the contents and purpose of that proclamation can be established.  He had accomplished the removal, the blotting out of God’s condemnation against the human race by nailing OUR just condemnation to HIS cross, and he was able to do this because their attempt to infiltrate, contaminate and destroy the Adamic race and his blood line from Adam had been defeated.      

To save you looking this passage up I quote it here “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers (angelic beings), he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14-15)

Why mention Christ’s blood line?  Messiah needed to be equal with both God and man if he was to fulfill his role as the ‘seed of the woman’ and that of the ‘kinsman redeemer’.  

Mankind could not be saved other than by a perfect man giving his perfect life as a perfect sacrifice.

All these points add a visual effect to the scriptures that I for one cannot lay aside.

REVELATION 20 into the eternal state

My synthesis of Revelation 20 and the eternal state Chapter 21

smile emoticon

Can we synthesise the new heavens and new earth of Revelation chapter 21 coming at the beginning of Christ’s reign, with Revelation chapter 20 and its thousand years? I am not able to do so.

In the first seven verses of Revelation chapter 20, after Christ’s return, we see a thousand years where:
1. Satan is bound.
2. We see thrones, and judgement by ‘them’ who sat upon those thrones (Luke 22:30);
3. We see the souls of Tribulational saints surrounding the throne during those thousand years.
4. Satan is loosed for a ‘season’ to deceive the nations.
5. Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire.
5. We see the rest of the dead come up for judgement after those years are ended.

I believe it is better understood by synthesising the one thousand years with the everlasting Kingdom, in that order.

I have written in a recent article that the millennium is not a restored paradise of new heavens and earth, but a restoration of pre flood (Edenic) conditions so that the final judgement of sin and Satan might be played out. Revelation chapter 20 shows this judgement as being played out at the end of the thousand years. We have the scriptural support for that judgement, but do we have the reasons for it being at the end of the millennium?

What follows is a summation of what I believe the Bible teaches in depth.

In the Garden Satan came to God’s lesser creatures to subvert them, showing by this that he was already at enmity with God. God set a plan for mankind’s salvation, a plan that depended very much on their faith in what he accomplished (the free will of man is very much a part of this). Such faith would be ongoing proof to Satan that he was without excuse for his original fall and constant enmity, and that his initial condemnation and final judgement are in accord with both love and justice.
Satan's defeat and final judgement come when proof of his just condemnation has been thoroughly proven and he has served his purpose of testing and tempting mankind.
To understand this spiritual war between God and Satan and the part we play in it is to come to some understanding of the Just and Righteous nature of our God and Saviour. This final judgement and incarceration of Satan is seen at at the end of the the millennium.

To go further into this war is beyond the scope of this comment and beyond the reasons for it.

The synthesising of the millennial and everlasting kingdoms is simply to place the thousand year earthly reign of Christ as a prelude to eternity, with the transition from one to the other being similar in nature to the fiery furnace from which three believers, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out alive. Millennial saints will also come through the fire, and live forever and ever on the new earth under the new heavens.

ANOTHER POINT TO ELECTION

The fact that God is eternal places everything in his scope, both the beginning of time and its end.  That there was never a ‘time’ when God did not know everything is beyond our understanding and is one of the mysteries of ‘eternity’, not to God, but to us his finite creatures.  

For the enlightenment of our finite understanding and our appreciation of our Infinite God, Peter in 1Peter 1:2 is saying that God’s election of some was because of his foreknowledge of their positive response to the redemption promised in Christ Jesus; a redemption also prepared in eternity past.

We are not elected to heaven, that is the end result of being redeemed but we are elected UNTO a life of obedience and cleansing to a living hope given to us by means of Christ’s resurrection.

 

There is far more involved here than being saved from the penalty of sin, it refers to our life as Christians, a life that expresses an eternal incorruptible inheritance that we can know is reserved in heaven for us who are guarded by faith unto the salvation which will be revealed in the last time.  We can experience that salvation now but it will be fully revealed at the resurrection of the Church, at the ‘Rapture’.

This experience of salvation is joy even in the midst of trial and is the proof of our faith; this faith is likened to pure refined gold that will be to praise glory and honour at the coming of Christ Jesus.

 We have not seen Jesus but our love for him, engendered by the Holy Spirit’s ministry within us, causes us to live our lives in unspeakable joy, receiving even now (experiencing) the salvation of our souls.

Election was according to the foreknowledge of God and by means of the sanctifying ministry of the Spirit but it was unto a life of obedience etc.  (Unbelievers are not elected to such a life but are left where they choose to remain.)

ISAIAH 53

A picture of the lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Certainly not the Jewish people today for they believe the servant of Isaiah 52:13 refers to them, to the Jewish race.  They do not believe Isaiah’s report as referring to Messiah nor do they understand the universality and totality of the Lord’s salvation as seen in Isaiah 52:10… “The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

Isaiah goes on to say of the LORD’s servant that he shall grow as a fresh shoot (from the remains of a majestic yet fallen tree), a root out of the dry ground of a fallen Kingdom.  There will be nothing spectacular about his appearing, and nothing commanding about his appearance; nothing that would attract men to his side.  In fact he would be despised and rejected by men because of his lowly and inconspicuous birth.

Yet for all this he would take upon himself the grief and sorrows of mankind, some of whom considered his judgment and death to be deserved, who considered his death to be God’s judgments.  But the fact of the matter was that he was wounded for our lawlessness, he was bruised for our perverse doings, and the punishment that brought about our peace was poured upon him; and by the afflictions he bore we are made whole.

Isaiah is speaking particularly to Israel but his gospel includes all men, for all the earth would see the salvation of God in his ‘servant’ (Isaiah 52:10).  All Israel were like sheep that had gone astray yet no one is exempt from this condemnation, and because of this the LORD laid on his servant the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and depressed, subjugated and deserted but offered no protest even though he was to be slaughtered like a sacrificial lamb; He was summarily taken from detention without due process of law leaving nothing but memories.  He was ‘cut off’ divided from Israel by death, but as theirs and our substitute.

In his grave he was reckoned with sinners and placed with the rich in his death yet he had done nothing deserving of such an end; yet it was the LORD’s will, for in this great abuse his soul was made an offering for sin and as a result he would have a posterity of his own, a posterity according to Jehovah’s design, and one he would see and would enjoy.  It would be by knowledge of him and his death that many would be justified, because he took upon himself their iniquities.

Therefore the LORD would apportion him a great spoil, which he in turn would divide with the many who are benefitted by his sacrifice and with whom he was counted, and for whom he makes intercession.

Isaiah 53 is a clear representation of the gospel of Christ for it is a prophetic word regarding Messiah as the servant of Jehovah, suffering for the sins, not only of the children of Israel, but for the sins of the whole world.

Those of us who have and do experience the peace and joy of this salvation should pray for those who are blinded by religious tradition and/or unbelief.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, a peace that will only come when the Prince of peace is welcomed back as Saviour, as King of kings and Lord of lords.