The Remnant or The Rabble – part 3
Isaiah 8:9-9:7 (8:21 – 9:7)
May 7, 2023
Tonight I want us to start by turning to: Revelation 13
• Chapter 13 of the Revelation is a unique chapter in which we look at the events of the tribulation from earth’s perspective.
In chapters 5-12 we get a spiritual view of the tribulation.
• We see the powers of the heavenlies.
• We see the wrath of God poured out from heaven.
But in chapters 13 & 14 we see the tribulation from an earthly perspective.
It is the famous chapter which speaks of the rise of the beast and the anti-christ and the requirement that everyone take that mark of the beast.
I want us to look first at VERSES 7-10
“It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
Pay special attention to the end of verse 10 and the phrase, “
Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
If someone where to ask you to preach on what saving faith looks like…
• If someone where to ask you to preach on what the perseverance of the saints
looks like…
You can take them to Revelation 13:7-10
And show them exactly what it looks like.
IT LOOKS LIKE
• People who trust God even when all hell breaks loose,
• And like people who keep trusting God even if their faith leads them into death.
Of course if you go on in the chapter we come down to VERSES 16-18
“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
Now again down in verse 18
You get the statement that reveals to you THE POINT being made.
John says, “Here is wisdom.”
(earlier it was faith and perseverance)
“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast…”
People have gone into all sorts of mathematical schemes
To try and figure out what the 666 represents.
They have manipulated the math to be everything
From Hitler to Kennedy to Obama and beyond.
But it is not a secret code to decipher.
The word “calculate” is the Greek word (say-FEED-zoe)
• It literally means “to count with pebbles”
• It can even mean “to decide by voting”
It is the same word used in Luke 14:28
Luke 14:28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”
Clearly there the idea is not that there is some secret code to decipher,
But rather it is to “calculate the cost”.
The idea with the mark of the beast is not
That you have to do algebra to figure out what it represents.
The idea is that you have to count the cost
And cast your vote as to whether or not you will take it.
If you take it then you will live and you can buy food.
If you reject it then you are beheaded.
However, keep going.
Look on to Revelation 14:9-12
“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Now we look beyond the present to eternity.
At the moment taking the mark of the beast seems like the logical choice,
But when viewed in reference to eternity it is a MASSIVE MISTAKE.
Because all those who take the mark “drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger”
Big mistake!
But again we come across that familiar defining statement.
(12) “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Again we see what perseverance looks like.
In these two chapters you have John teaching you very important truths.
WHAT DOES FAITH LOOK LIKE?
• It looks like trusting God in the face of persecution.
WHAT DOES OBEDIENCE LOOK LIKE?
• It looks like obeying God even when it is hard.
WHAT DOES WISDOM LOOK LIKE?
• It looks like counting the cost and making the wise decision for eternity and not just for today.
WHAT DOES PERSEVERANCE LOOK LIKE?
• It looks like enduring even to death.
BUT FOR OUR PURPOSE TONIGHT
I want you to go back to chapter 13:8
And let’s see who it is
Who demonstrates this perseverance and faith and wisdom.
Verse 13:8, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
We see here again the sovereign election of God.
• The pressure coming from the anti-christ to worship him will be so great that
no one will resist it.
• The persecution and the threat will be so severe that no man by his own
strength will be able to endure.
• The decision will be so hard that no man will exercise wisdom for eternity.
EXCEPT for those who have been supernaturally chosen by God.
Only those whose names have been written down from the foundation of the world.
We call them: THE REMNANT
• They trust when others reject.
• They endure when others quit.
And the point we learn from the Revelation is that
Not only are the Remnant different from the Rabble
In their FAITH and their FEAR and their FOCUS,
But the Remnant also differ from the Rabble in their FATE.
IT DOES NOT END THE SAME FOR BOTH GROUPS.
And with that let’s RETURN AGAIN TO ISAIAH and see our final point.
We’ve seen the first 3 distinguishing marks between the Remnant and the Rabble.
#1 THEIR FAITH: The Remnant trusts God’s presence, the Rabble fears the enemy’s presence.
Isaiah 8:9-10
We saw how Israel was trembling,
But Isaiah was taunting because God is with us.
#2 THEIR FEAR: The Remnant fears God, the Rabble falls over Him.
Isaiah 8:11-15
We saw how Isaiah was commanded not to fear what the people fear,
But rather to regard God as holy.
And this morning:
#3 THEIR FOCUS: The Remnant consults God’s Law, the Rabble consults the world.
Isaiah 8:16-20
Whereas the Rabble runs to the world (even to the dead) for wisdom in their crisis, the Remnant runs to the Law and to the testimony.
TONIGHT, as we noted in the introduction, we look at the fourth distinction.
#4 THEIR FATE: The Remnant sees the light of salvation, the Rabble is driven into darkness.
Isaiah 8:21-9:7
In verses 19-20 Isaiah reminded us that
The Rabble have no genuine trust for the Law of God.
They may give lip service to it, but when push comes to shove
They follow the world’s wisdom every time.
Isaiah 8:19 “When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
Isaiah made a sweeping declaration about them.
Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”
Isaiah called men to run to God’s Law for their guidance in life,
But certainly NOT ALL WILL.
To which Isaiah said:
“If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”
That is to say, “They have no light!” or “They have no truth!”
This is the ultimate reality for all who reject or neglect the word of God.
God’s word is the only certified truth you will ever get your hands on.
If you reject it, you will have nothing you can bank on to guide you.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 23:15-32
One of my favorite passages which passes judgment on the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day.
They boast of their dreams and they even steal the content of their dreams from one another.
But the LORD makes it very clear that these ministries are utterly worthless.
In fact He says in verse 32, “nor do they furnish the people the slightest benefit”
The wisdom of the world is not an alternative to God’s wisdom.
Worldly wisdom is not another option you might want to pursue.
There is no benefit at all to it.
1 Corinthians 3:20 “and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”
All they do is lead men into darkness.
We remember what Jesus said about the false spiritual leaders of His day:
Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
That is the fate of those who follow worldly wisdom.
And you see it here very clearly in the final verses of Isaiah 8.
(21-22) “They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.”
TRIBULATION – “they will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished…”
APOSTASY – “they will be enraged and curse their king and their God…”
GLOOM – “They will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish…”
DESTRUCTION – “they will be driven away into darkness.”
That is the fate of those who won’t trust God, don’t fear God, and don’t listen to God.
“If a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
There is but one fate for the rabble who don’t trust God.
They receive the darkness of destruction.
Romans 2:9 “There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,”
It just doesn’t end well for the Rabble.
In Moses day
We see them killed by plagues.
We see them swallowed up by the ground.
We see them bitten by serpents and dying.
We see them forbidden to enter the Promised Land.
If you don’t have faith in God…
If you don’t fear God…
If you don’t focus on God’s word…
The fate is extremely gloomy.
There is no hope.
But there again is where we distinguish between the rabble and THE REMNANT.
Chapter 9:1 presents us yet again with that favorite 3-letter word, “But…”
(1) “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.”
While the rabble stumble along in darkness like blind men following blind men, the Remnant enjoy the promise of salvation!
I mean we talked this morning about the eternal fire which will be the fate of the rabble, but not the remnant.
1 Thessalonians 5:3-5 “While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”
1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”
The remnant and the rabble receive a completely different fate.
They are in “the gloom of anguish”.
“But there will be no more gloom for here who was in anguish” does not refer to the rabble who grope along in darkness at the end of chapter 8.
That promise is for the Remnant who have been forced to endure the same difficult circumstances as the rabble and who have been in anguish because of their wickedness.
You’ll remember that God promised Isaiah about the Remnant
Isaiah 6:14 “Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, And it will again be subject to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump.”
God told Isaiah that He would preserve a remnant but that even they “will again be subject to burning”. Even they would walk through the same trials and hardships as the rabble.
The only difference is they walk through them with the hope of salvation.
They may have endured “contempt” but glory awaits.
And we see the promise:
(2) “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.”
The promise is that these people who had to endure the same darkness as the rabble who rejected truth will “see a great light”.
Light is a picture of hope.
And that hope is given.
Of course we also saw the fulfilment of those first 2 verses.
Matthew pointed it out for us.
Matthew 4:12-16 “Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES— “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”
When Matthew saw Jesus enter that region Isaiah 9 came screaming back to him.
This was the fulfillment.
This was salvation!
Jesus is the Light of the World!
He was the promise.
Even in Isaiah’s day there was a period of darkness and gloom that was promised, and it would only be broken with the arrival of this Savior who would shine the light of salvation.
Certainly all men did not look for it, but the remnant did!
Do you remember the remnant that show up at the time of His birth?
Luke 2:25-32 “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Luke 2:36-38 “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
There are two representatives of that remnant who were waiting for His arrival.
And they saw the Light Isaiah spoke of.
The Remnant don’t share the same fate as the rabble.
While the rabble do off into darkness, the Remnant wait for the Light of Salvation.
But here’s the really important thing for you and I to see.
Of the entire passage that we read in Isaiah 9:1-7, only the first 2 verses have been fulfilled.
We have yet to see the fulfillment of verses 3-7, though we are confident in their fulfillment because we saw the first 2.
(3-5) “You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.”
Isaiah spoke of a coming day of gladness.
He uses the word three times!
“You shall increase their gladness”
“They will be glad in Your presence”
“As with the gladness of harvest”
They are going to rejoice like they just had a bumper crop!
They are going to rejoice like they just won a huge battle and are now sifting through the spoils of war!
Because this Savior will come and “break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders”
He is going to put an end to their oppression like He put an end to the Midianites when Gideon and his 300 men screamed and broke those pots.
And men will take their army uniforms and their combat gear and burn it in the fire because they won’t need it anymore.
Isaiah speaks of a day when the tribulation is over.
Isaiah speaks of a day when wars will cease.
Isaiah speaks of a day when no more will oppression reign on the earth.
This is the day that the Remnant anticipate.
WHY?
(6-7) “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
You are familiar with the prophecy.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;”
This is yet another child in Isaiah’s prophecy and in reality every child he has mentioned has been a picture of this one.
Shear-Jashub – “a remnant will return”
Immanuel – “God with us”
Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz – “Swift is the Booty, Speedy is the Prey”
All of those have been a picture of this child.
They are prophetic pictures.
The One who will come and gather God’s remnant.
The One who is in fact God with us.
The One who will conquer the enemy.
It is this child!
And what an indicator.
Isaiah doesn’t speak of a warrior coming. Isaiah speaks of a child coming.
A child who would be born of a virgin.
A son who is given.
And He won’t rest on the government as though anyone needs to prop Him up.
No, “the government will rest on His shoulders”
All the policies, all the laws, all the benefits will work because of Him.
His power and His might and His character is the backbone that will support the entire system.
Let me just fast forward for you a little.
Isaiah 11:1-5 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”
Many a world leader may come with good ideas, but they are far too weak or far too corrupt to ever see their ideas come to fruition.
Not this Ruler!
He operates on God’s power and his character supports the government.
He will rule in justice and it will work!
“And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
They call Him “Wonderful Counselor”
In the Hebrew that is PELE YA’ATES
PELE is actually an untranslatable term because it is a term God uses to describe Himself.
When Samson’s daddy was visited by the LORD and asked for His name:
Judges 13:18 “But the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”
That is another way of saying it is incomprehensible.
It is too lofty for you.
It is beyond your comprehension.
YA’ATES means “to advise”
He is an unbelievable advisor.
He speaks with the wisdom of God.
How we love it when we read in the Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard, but I say…”
What wisdom and truth that Jesus presented that none could argue with Him or refute Him.
No man’s counsel and no man’s truth has ever compared to the incomprehensible level of wisdom which comes to us in the words of Jesus.
We will not have a foolish ruler.
We will not have a corrupt or ignorant advisor.
We will have the “Wonderful Counselor” the PELE YA’ATES
He will also be called “Mighty God”
In the Hebrew this is EL GHIBOR
“EL” speaks of God
Make no mistake that this child will not be a mere man, He will be God.
He is not referred to as “Mighty Human” or even “Mighty Man of Valor” like some of the other Old Testament characters.
This One who will be “born to us”…
This One who will be “given to us”…
Will be none other than God.
That is part of His name.
“GHIBOR” speaks of a mighty one, even a warrior.
Exodus 15:2-4 “The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him. “The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name. “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.”
Moses saw God as a mighty warrior.
But certainly we see this Jesus who will come and tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of God.
We this One who will completely destroy His enemies and cast the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire and bind Satan for a 1,000 years.
Isaiah sees Him again later:
Isaiah 63:1-6 “Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. “For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. “I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
There will be no chance of a revolt.
There will be no chance of an insurrection.
There will be no chance of defeat.
Our coming King is EL GIBHOR, the “Mighty God”
He will also be called “Eternal Father”
That alone is an interesting title as well, for now not only do we recognize that the child will be God, but here we also learn that the Son is referred to as the “Father”.
That does not mean that the Son and the Father are the same person.
He is one God in three distinct persons.
The Son is not the Father and the Father is not the Son, but the Son is God and the Father is God.
And Jesus taught us that if you have seen Him then you have seen the Father.
Jesus is the exact representation.
Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
Hebrews 1:3 “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
This is another announcement of His deity.
Jesus will say it:
John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”
But it’s more than just an announcement of His deity.
He is called “Eternal Father”
In the Hebrew it is two short words “AD AB”
And it literally translates “Father Until”
But it gives no final date or time.
We are speaking of reign which has no end.
This God will reign and there is no indicator of when His reign will cease.
It is open ended…
It is not completed…
We get the wisest, most glorious, most powerful King and His reign will know no end.
He is Father Until.
And He is also referred to as “Prince of Peace”
In the Hebrew that is SAR SHALOM
It speaks to the effect of His reign.
In chapter 11 we read:
Isaiah 11:6-9 “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”
And we know this is real for we have already seen the monumental effects of the peace of Jesus.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
If you want to talk about the most remarkable peace treaty of all time then look no further.
This Jesus came on behalf of sinful humans who had totally offended God their entire lives and Jesus orchestrated the peace deal that saw the veil removed and access granted to the Father by us.
Hebrews 5:7-9 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,”
Do you want to see a remarkable statement about the ministry of Jesus?
Here is the Man who has the task of representing the rest of humanity before God.
He is the One who will approach the Holy and seek to broker our peace deal with the Father.
And the tremendous statement of Hebrews 5?
“He was heard…”
God accepted this agent of Peace.
There’s never been another like Him!
The end or Ephesians 2 speaks of how Jesus brought peace even between Jew and Gentile and reconciled us both in one body to God.
He is truly the “Prince of Peace”
And so you take this “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” and you ask what His government will look like?
(7) “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
Words like “no end”
Words like “increase”
Words like “peace”
Words like “justice and righteousness”
Words like “forevermore”
This is the One who is coming.
And the point is that this is the FATE OF THE REMNANT.
While the rabble is driven away into darkness, the remnant will walk in glorious light for all eternity.
It is the light of their Savior.
You want to be part of the remnant!
Be a person who trusts the presence of God; be a person of faith.
Be a person who regards God as God; be a person who fears God.
Be a person who focuses on God’s word as your source of truth.
Because if you are, then you will be a person who one day will enjoy the eternal kingdom of the Christ.
We haven’t seen verses 3-7 fulfilled yet, but we will.
They are coming and the remnant get to enjoy it all!
