5/17/2007

Isaiah spoken of by name in New Testament

Here is a break down of the N.T. passages in which Isaiah is mentioned by name.

Matt. (6x) 3:3; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14; 15:7.

Mark (1x) 7:6.

Luke (2x) 3:4; 4:17.

John (4x) 1:23; 12:38, 39, 41.

Acts (3x) 8:28, 30; 28:25.

Romans (5x) 9:27, 29; 10:16, 20; 15:12.

5/02/2007

How can Jerusalem become Sodom and Gomorrah? By Her exhibited nature. How can she be redeemed? By the nature of her Messiah.

We learn in Isaiah chapter 1 that the city of God's people has become a harlot. And in the future she will even be considered to have become "Babylon" along with the other harlot cities of man. But the city of God's people will be restored by God himself to a city of the legitimate, a faithful "city" whose inhabitants will only be those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.


Isaiah 1:21-26
(21) How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers.
(22) Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water.
(23) Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow's plea come before them.
(24) Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My foes.
(25) "I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy.
(26) "Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city."

Consider the meaning of these passages knowing that John counts Isaiah as the seed bed from which the Gospel springs forth.

"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified (Revelation 11:8)."

"(v.2)And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband....(v.9)'Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb....'(v.10)And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,... (v.27) and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:2,9,10,27)

Revelation 21 makes clear that the geography of the bride-Jerusalem is located spiritually, where God tabernalces among his people and dwells with them.

Isaiah 1:27-28
(27) Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness.
(28) But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end.