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Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 20

Theme                  : Sign of Defeat

In order to prophesy the imminent defeat of Egypt and Cush by the Assyrians, God told Isaiah to take off his sandals and loose the sackcloth from his waist as a sign of nakedness, even though he was not walking around literally naked. This is a warning for Israel not to trust in foreign alliances for protection, but only trust in God. If they make alliances with foreigners they will suffer and also copy their idolatry.

Praying the Scripture

1. In times of trouble, we should not be like the Israelites who did not trust God, but trusted in man. When we are in trouble, we must depend on God the most. We should immediately pray to God for help, not immediately look for people to help. There is nothing wrong with seeking counsel or help from other believers; it is wise and biblical to do so, but we should depend on God the most who can use people around us to guide us. Pray that your habit is to go to God first, then backup your prayers with your effort. God will bless your dependence on Him.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 19

Theme                  : Judgement and Salvation for Egypt

Destruction of the Land (1-15). God prophesies that in the end times, Egypt will be attacked and ruled by the antichrist, a hard master (v. 4). This agrees with Daniel 11:42. The antichrist will subdue three kingdoms, one being Egypt, before all the ten kings will give their authority to the antichrist (Daniel 7:24, Rev. 17:12-13). In the end times, the waters of the sea and the rivers will dry up. There will be desolation. This agrees with Revelation 8:10 and other judgements.

Salvation of the Land (16-25). In the end times, there will be some cities in Egypt that will believe in God. Interestingly, Egypt currently has a large population of Coptic Christians, about 9-15 million, or 5%-10% of the population. This prophecy could be about them. In any case, God will strike the nation but then heal it. And stunningly, Egypt will be part of God’s people like the Jews.

Praying the Scripture

1. As we read about all the pronouncement of judgment and salvation on Israel’s surrounding nations, we need to be reminded that the end times is near. Especially with all the events in Middle East. Israel may be the strongest military in the world with the help of USA, but there will be a time when Israel will not be able to rely on itself or the West, especially if there will a major economic collapse in the West as many prominent economists and investors are forecasting. We do not know whether an economic collapse will happen or not; or how soon, but we know Jesus is coming back soon because of all the events in the Middle East, especially with the rise of radical Islam that seeks to revive an Islamic Caliphate. It will be glorious when Jesus bursts forth from the sky and forever restore this world. May you prepare for it by focusing on your eternal relationship with God, other believers and evangelizing unbelievers whom you seek to have an eternal relationship.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 18

Theme                  : Judgement and Salvation for Cush

Cush is located in modern day Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. At the right time, God will prune Cush, meaning judge Cush, and then bring them to Himself. They will worship God and take tributes to God in the end times.

Praying the Scripture

1. When God intervenes world history through the return of Jesus, it will be at the perfect time, not too late and not too early. It is sad to read so many judgements on these surrounding nations of Israel, but at the same time it is hopeful to see all these nations repent and worship Jesus in the end. May we learn from these judgments by not sinning against God and have to learn our lessons the hard way. Pray that you will learn the easy way.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 17

Theme                  : Judgement and Salvation for Damascus

Damascus is present day Syria. God promises to judge Syria in the end times because Syria will loot Israel (v. 14) but God will defend Israel. In that day, there will be no need for fortresses in Ephraim (northern kingdom Israel) because there will be world peace and no more war or terrorism (v.3). Also, the people of Syria will no longer worship idols but only God Himself. They will be God’s people just like Israel.

Praying the Scripture

1. It is stunning that God has not only resurrected the nation of Israel in 1948, but also the locations of Israel’s current enemies, including Gaza, are the same as 3,000 years ago when Isaiah was written. This is so that God’s end times prophesies will be fulfilled. God’s prophesies are amazing! Again, the judgements in the end times will be horrific because of their horrific sins, but it is God’s way of reconciling the world to Himself. Pray that you will trust in God and know that this is the best way to restore this broken world, for God is all wise. Pray that Christ will return soon and end all the grieving on earth because of terrorism and human trafficking. Long for His Messianic Kingdom and live for it.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 15-16

Theme                  : End Times Judgment on Moab

The Destruction of Moab in End Times (Chps. 15-16).  The judgment on Moab (present day Jordan), about waters turning into blood (v. 9) and vegetation fails (v. 6), agrees with end times prophesies in Revelation 8:7, 11:6 and other references. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. V. 5 says God has compassion on the fugitive of Moab. Just as a parent does not wish to spank his children, but it must be done in order to stop their wickedness, so God must punishment them in order to stop their wickedness but not out of pleasure. Lamentation 3:33 says, “for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” There will be some from Moab who will not follow the antichrist and God calls His people to shelter them (16:4).

Praying the Scripture

1. When we see awful judgment of God on sinners, we must understand and trust God’s good judgment. Their ugly sins deserve an ugly end. The OT consistently testifies to the righteous judgment of God. Even unbelievers would agree with God’s judgment on Adoni Bezek in Judges 1:7. He cut off others’ thumbs and toes, so his thumbs and toes were cut off. Jesus says in Matthew 7:2, “For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” God is a righteous, fair judge and we must trust in His good judgment just as Abraham trusted in God’s judgement after He understood God’s character and actions (Gen. 18:25). Pray that you will trust in God’s fair and righteous judgement. He knows more about a person than you will ever know.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 14

Theme                  : King of Babylon Foreshadows Antichrist

Taunt against King of Babylon (1-11) – In the end times, Israel will be captured as slaves, but then through the Messiah of Isaiah 11:1, they will take captive those who were their captors. Then Israel will taunt the antichrist who is prefigured in the person of King of Babylon, who ruled the Middle East. After the antichrist is defeated there will be peace on earth (v.7), which is referring to the Millennial Kingdom.

Satan Energizes Antichrist (12-23) – Just as Satan was behind the serpent who tempted Eve, so Satan will be behind the antichrist. This agrees with Revelation 13:4. Satan fell because of his pride. He wanted to be like God.

The Assyrian Foreshadows Antichrist (24-27) – Again God uses the historical king of Assyria to foreshadow the antichrist (cf. Micah 5:2-6; Isaiah 9:4).

Oracle Concerning Philistia (28-32) – Philistia (modern day Gaza) will also play a role in the end times.

Praying the Scripture

1. Pride is one of the most deadly sins there is. It caused Satan to fall and it is the enemy of faith and submission to God. We must not have any self-righteous pride or any personal pride that is based on our possession, position, intellect, or strength. Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Pray that you will boast in God, not in yourself.

2. It is amazing how many times the OT foreshadows the antichrist. He is a central figure in God’s plan to destroy His enemies and crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15). And then God will reconcile the whole world to Himself in His glorious Messianic Kingdom. This is the hope that we have been living for. Pray that you will be even more consecrated to God as you prepare to meet Jesus, who is coming back soon.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 13

Theme                  : End Times Judgment on Babylon

God now directs attention from end times salvation through the Messiah to end times judgment on surrounding nations from chapters 13-23. The day of the Lord in v. 6 always refers to end times judgment in OT prophetic literature (cf. Joel 2:1). In the end times, Babylon will attack Israel but then the Messiah will deliver Israel and judge Babylon. The historical defeat of Babylon by the Medes, aka Persians (v. 17) is a foreshadow of future end times defeat of Babylon. After God judges Babylon (modern day Iraq), it will never be inhabited, no Arab will live there (v. 20).

Praying the Scripture

1. How should we react to all the terrorism and the beheading of Christians by ISIS, who occupy the ancient land of Babylon? Are we supposed to call down God’s judgment on them and pronounce imprecatory Psalms on them (Ps. 139:19-22)? Or are we supposed to pray for their salvation like Matt. 5:44? The answer is that we ought to do both. They are not contradictory. The cross is both grace and justice. God is just and justifier of the guilty (Rom. 3:26). We can take action to destroy ISIS for justice and we can pray God will save a ISIS Saul and turn him into a ISIS Paul. May we seek both justice and offer grace at the same time.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 12

Theme                  : The End Times Jews Praising Jesus

(1-6). When God delivers Jews through Jesus in the end times, they will praise God for their spiritual and physical salvation. They will thank God for having mercy on them by turning away His righteous anger against their sins. They will be full of joy and thankfulness. As saved people they will proclaim the greatness of the Lord to all the nations on earth. God will be glorified. The saints in the end times will sing a new song to God (Rev. 5:9, 14:3).

Praying the Scripture

1. The nature result of salvation is to praising God for His love and mercy. The natural result is joy. Martin Luther, the great reformer, said the sorrow that leads you to the cross is of God, but the sorrow that you have after you have gone to the cross is of the devil. We ought to confess our sins (1 John 1:9), but not to wallow in our sins and sorrow after confessing our sins and going to the cross to acknowledge our sins have been paid for. Instead we grow in our thankfulness, holiness and faith when we diligently and sacrificially serve Him, read and pray the Scripture, share the gospel, ponder on the great and real pain of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and understand our unworthiness. Sorrow is not our strength, but the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10). Pray that you will cultivate a true joy in the Lord, not a joy from sin. If you have joy from sin you need to turn your joy into mourning (James 4:9), then receive true and everlasting joy.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 11

Theme                  : The Branch, Messiah

Rising from the Ashes (1-2). God prophesied that the promised Messiah in Is. 7:14 and 9:6 will be a shoot rising from the ashes of dynasty of David, referred as the stump of Jesse, who is David’s father. Jesse is used, instead of David, to emphasize the collapse of the Davidic Kingdom. This is exactly what happened in history. When Jesus was born, the Davidic Kingdom had completely disappeared. No Davidic king was on the throne of Israel, not even a puppet one. Being from the line of David, Jesus was not born in a palace, instead in a lowly manger. These two verses prophesize about His first coming. This prophesy was written about 700 years before the first coming of Jesus.

Restored World (2-9). These verses prophesize about the Messiah’s second coming when He will restore the world to the time of Adam and Eve and rule the world. Jesus will judge the world not by what can be seen with the eyes, but by supernatural insight because He is God. He will restore the animal world. They will once again be herbivores and will not be in conflict with humans. The whole earth will know God through Jesus.

Restored Israel (10-16). God will unite the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In the end times, God will gather them from the surrounding nations because they will have been attacked, exiled and enslaved in these countries. But the Messiah will return and lead them to destroy their surrounding nations, including Philistines (modern day Gaza), Edom, Moab, Ammonites (Jordan and Saudi Arabia), Egypt and Assyria (Iraq, Syria, and parts of Turkey). This end times judgment against Israel’s surrounding nations is also a repeated theme in OT prophetic literature (Num. 24:17, Eze. 38:3-6).

Praying the Scripture

1. It is stunning how much prophesies God has fulfilled in the OT. There is absolutely no chance these amazing, detailed prophesies can be made up by man. We can fully trust God’s word even when we don’t fully understand all of it (Prov. 3:5-6). Do not ever use yourself or man’s understanding to measure God’s truth. This is what foolish and arrogant people of the world do. They read about a talking serpent in Genesis 3 and then ridicule the Bible because they use themselves as the referent/standard of truth, instead of the creator of the world. The problem with the world is that it is self-referential. Paradise was a lot different than the world now. People were supposed to live forever too. We must boldly believe in the Bible and reject pseudo-science like Darwinian macro evolution. Pray that God will strengthen your faith through His fulfilled prophesies and look forward to the return of Jesus.

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 10:5-34

Theme                  : Assyrians as Pattern of End Time Antichrist

The Rod of God’s Anger (5-19). Because of Israel’s sins, God will use Assyria as the rod of His anger to punish Israel. Assyria is already evil, God directs their evil toward Israel (Prov. 21:1). But God will also punish Assyria for their pride and evil. Assyria was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians.

End Times Anger and Restoration (20-34). The phrase “in that day” in OT prophetic literature almost always refers to the end times. Assyrians serve as a pattern/type of the end time antichrist and his army. In the end times, Israel will again be attacked and be desolated by surrounding nations because of their rejection of Jesus (a repeated theme in OT prophets), just as Assyrians had attacked and desolated Israel. The antichrist and his armies will march through Israel: Aiath, Migron, Michmash and etc (vv. 28-32). But God will deliver them through the promised Messiah in 9:6, who will destroy the end times Assyrians like in the day of Midian (cf. 9:4) and break the yoke of the end times Assyrians from Israel. In the end times, Lebanon is one of the surrounding nations that will attack Israel but will be destroyed by God (v. 34).

Praying the Scripture

1. Reading OT prophets can be depressing because there are so much talk about sin, wars, death and destruction. But we must realize that this is not the end. The end is a restored world where Jesus will reconcile the world to God through Him (Col. 1:20). Death and destruction must come because of human sins, but there is hope in the end. Hope gets us through. Just as we can be depressed by so much death and terrorism in the world, we keep depression at bay because of our real hope and prayer is that Jesus will return soon and put an end to this. God also gives us the grace to live for Him every day and to share the gospel with unbelievers. Maranatha (Our Lord, Come! 1 Cor. 16:22).