Isaiah 26:20

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:20

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20 Come [yalak], my people [`am], enter [bow'] thou into thy chambers [cheder], and shut [cagar] thy doors [deleth] about thee: hide [chabah] thyself as it were for a little [m@`at] moment [rega`], until the indignation [za`am] be overpast [`abar].   KJV-Interlinear

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.   ESV

Remember the context of this passage.  Isaiah is writing of the end times, but in his day, the end times were, and are, still future.

And when the end times arrive, then there will be a resurrection.

The chambers, is a reference to the private place of peace and calmness. This is the state of death for believers in the Savior, who we know as Jesus Christ.

Shut the doors, is a phrase to indicate that no one else will be allowed to interfere with your rest.  Thus death is private and there is no power or authority which will disrupt death.

For a little while, is a reference to a span of time, a short time if compared to eternity.  It is a blink of an eye, during which the dead will wait for their promised resurrection.

The indignation, is the status of death and the nature of death which is caused because of the angelic conflict, which is caused by Satan and all of his complaints against God.

So, because of Satan, humanity is forced to experience death, prior to life in eternity.  And this is humiliating, in that death brings the corruption of the body and all the foul things that accompany it, as well as the inconvenience of death, which postpones life in heaven and eternity while God plays out history due to Satan’s complaint and opposition.

So, the promise is, that death is only for a short time, and to the dead, it will seem very short.  Kind of like when you go to sleep at night and then suddenly it is morning.  That eight hours of sleep, seemed like but a moment.  And so it will be with death.

Our life will continue for all of eternity and that is a very long time.  The entire human history in this world is but a moment on that eternal timeline.

Isaiah 26:19

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:19

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19 Thy dead [muwth] men shall live [chayah], together with my dead body [n@belah] shall they arise [quwm]. Awake [quwts] and sing [ranan], ye that dwell [shakan] in dust [`aphar]: for thy dew [tal] is as the dew [tal] of herbs ['owrah], and the earth ['erets] shall cast out [naphal] the dead [rapha'].   KJV-Interlinear

19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.   ESV

This is a resurrection passage in the Old Testament.  The words for dead and dead body, respectively, ‘muwth,’ and ‘nabelah,’ refer to dead things, carrion, decaying and putrid.

Live and arise, speak of life, to recover, to repair, to restore.

And so we have here the declaration of a resurrection, which will occur in the end times, and at the time when Christ returns in the Second Advent.  That principle is addressed in verse 21, which is still a couple of studies way.

But for now, the dew of the herbs, is symbolic, of the rising of herbs in the spring after a long winter where they have every attribute of appearing dead, dried up and useless.  But in the spring the dew, or moisture of the earth restores their life and they return again to the living.

Our dew, however, is not the dew of the earth but the dew of the Spirit, which is the dew not of water but of light.  And it is the Holy Spirit who will restore life, when that future time arrives. 

The earth, which again holds the dead, will give them up, and will not be able to prevent their life from returning.

Now, on the one hand we have a Messiah who will come and secure salvation, and then return again to complete judgment and then establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

This return means that He has to leave in order to return.

The return, which we call the Second Advent, will be the time of the resurrection for Old Testament believers.

Remember that we as church age believers will have our resurrection at the Rapture, and we will return with Christ at the Second Advent.  The seven years of the Tribulation separates our resurrection, from the resurrection of the Old Testament believers.

Christ was the first resurrection, ours is the second resurrection, the Old Testament believers will be the third resurrection, and the millennial believers will be the fourth and final resurrection at the end of the Millennium.

These four resurrections are the first group.

There is a second group, which will be all unbelievers who will be raised up and brought before Christ at the Great White Throne at the end of the Millennium, and from there, all those condemned, will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, forever.

Then, this universe will be destroyed and a new universe will be created and then eternity will begin and continue forever.

When the resurrection occurs there will be great singing and celebration, needless to say.

Isaiah 26:18

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:18

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18 We have been with child [harah], we have been in pain [chuwl], we have as it were [k@mow] brought forth [yalad] wind [ruwach]; we have not wrought [`asah] any deliverance [y@shuw`ah] in the earth ['erets]; neither [bal] have the inhabitants [yashab] of the world [tebel] fallen [naphal].   KJV-Interlinear

18 we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.   ESV

Pregnancy is the fruit of the womb.  And though the Israelites, had custody of the scriptures, and with them, should have evangelized the world.  They did not.

Instead they delivered the works of the Levitical priesthood, which distorted the scriptures, and produces wind, or an emptiness, with no production, no substance, and certainly no offspring or future.

Works is empty and amounts of an empty womb, giving birth to nothing, despite all of the pain and anguish of that effort.  Man goes to great pains, to accomplish nothing.

And despite the troubles and turmoil that the Israelites went through, they never learned from their adversity.

And so it is today.  People do not learn. They have adversity, which is intended to teach humility and the need for God in ones life, but when the trouble ends, they go right back to their former ways, to repeat again and again, the ways of emptiness.

Scripture is intended to be taught and through teaching, learned, and through learning, understood, and through understanding, usage in ones daily life, and through usage and the repetition so all of these things, wisdom.

Wisdom, then develops into faith.

Faith is built on the substance of wisdom.  Faith is not luck or wishes.  Faith is not blind.  Faith is built upon the precepts of doctrine, doctrine learned and understood, and inculcated into the very essence of the soul.

The evils of man do not fall, because man has not replaced evil with truth, because man does not pursue truth, but rather pursues his indifference toward truth.

Isaiah 26:17

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:17

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17 Like [k@mow] as a woman with child [hareh], that draweth near [qarab] the time of her delivery [yalad], is in pain [chuwl], and crieth out [za`aq] in her pangs [chebel]; so have we been in thy sight [paniym], O LORD [Y@hovah].   KJV-Interlinear

17 Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD;   ESV

You cannot blame the present generation for the failures of yesterday.  You cannot blame todays generation for the failures of tomorrow.  Each person, just as each generation, is responsible for their own failures.

And the generations of humanity have failed repeatedly throughout history, not because of others, but because of their own failures in the spiritual realm.

Generations fail, God delivers, and then the generations resume right back where they left off, to repeat the failure process over and over again.

The pains of child birth, are used here to symbolize the pains, both internally and externally, of the individual when their spiritual life falls apart.

And spiritual lives fall apart, resulting from the failures of individuals in their spiritual lives, resulting in pains that are beyond description.

And this is a very good description of what one can expect out of life, when God is ignored, when Christ is ignored, when doctrine is ignored.

In other words, if indifference toward doctrine, exists in the life, then misery in great magnitude, is the best you can expect.

Misery does not come upon you instantly nor continue over the long haul, but when it comes, it will not be pleasant.

Isaiah 26:16

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:16

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16 LORD [Y@hovah], in trouble [tsar] have they visited [paqad] thee, they poured out [tsuwq] a prayer [lachash] when thy chastening [muwcar] was upon them.   KJV-Interlinear

16 O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.   ESV

The phrase, poured out in prayer, refers to a whispering or a muttering, as in embarrassment or in grumbling.  And so it is with people who ignore God, until they have their backs to the wall, and even then they call upon God as a last resort, or even in their bitterness.

While God calls us to call upon Him, this calling should be in both prosperity as well as in suffering.

Most people, when prosperous, tend to lose their interest in God.  And only when things in life become too dicey, then do we call upon God, if not in desperation.

And oddly enough, when God pours out blessing, we are or become, more distant from Him, and when life pours out cursing, then we direct our attention toward Him, and thus become closer to God, because of our suffering.

And so we are reminded that prayer should come from us toward God, through Christ, and in the Spirit, as a normal part of our day to day life.  And not just when we are in trouble.

Likewise, we are reminded that calling upon God is not only normal but the expected behavior, especially in times of trouble.

But, realize that these verses are contained in the middle of the prophetic discourse from Isaiah, and thus when we notice that in the end times, all prayer will have been forgotten, and especially when the end times grow terrible to the extreme, then people will still not look to God.  This demonstrates the tremendous spiritual dysfunction that will exist in those fateful days.

Isaiah 26:15

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:15

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15 Thou hast increased [yacaph] the nation [gowy], O LORD [Y@hovah], thou hast increased [yacaph] the nation [gowy]: thou art glorified [kabad]: thou hadst removed it far [rachaq] unto all the ends [qetsev] of the earth ['erets].   KJV-Interlinear

15 But you have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land.   ESV

The nation being referred to, is the nation of God.  Israel is the earthly designation of Gods chosen people, but those chosen people are not limited nor determined by genetics, but by faith.

Gods nation began with Adam, and will continue to increase in number until the last person in history believes in Christ.

When that is, only God knows.

But as far as nations go, and given that there have been perhaps trillions of people born into this world over these past several millennia, then Gods nation will be the largest by far, of all the nations of the world, in all of history.

Removed to the ends of the earth means to have its boundaries extended.

And Gods national boundaries are not limited to time and space, but across time, across geography, and across into eternity.

Gods national boundaries have no limits, but reach across all of the known world, across all of history, and far beyond.

No leader, no people, have or could ever match that growth or reach.

No leader, no people could ever match that sovereignty.

Only God, and more specifically, only Christ, has that capability and authority.

Isaiah 26:14

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:14

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14 They are dead [muwth], they shall not live [chayah]; they are deceased [rapha'], they shall not rise [quwm]: therefore hast thou visited [paqad] and destroyed [shamad] them, and made all their memory [zeker] to perish ['abad].   KJV-Interlinear

14 They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them.    ESV

When history runs its course, then evil will cease to exist.  Dead means just that. 

The dead do not live.  The dead cannot cause trouble.

Deceased, simply re-emphasizes that the dead are not living, but also they are gone from his world.  They are gone to the land of the dead.

Between the land of the living, and the land of the dead is a great gulf across which the dead cannot return.  Not on their own anyway.

So dead means not living as is the manner of living creatures.  Deceased means gone from his world.

Evil, once obliterated, cannot raise its ugly head ever again, cannot rule, cannot cause or be the cause of trouble.

And it is God who visited the evil ones, and it is God who judges, and it is God who issues the final execution order, and it is God who sends and removes evil out of life.

And it will be God who will remove evil from all memory, and the memory of evil will be no more.

Who wants to leave this world and this universe and carry with them the ugly things of the old, into the new?

God will not bring anything of the old into the new, and certainly not evil.

Eternity will begin with perfection, just as this original universe when it was created, was perfect, and the Garden when it was restored, was perfect, but the new universe will not cease in its perfection.  Evil will no longer exist, to taint it.

Isaiah 26:13

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:13

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13 O LORD [Y@hovah] our God ['elohiym], other lords ['adown] beside [zuwlah] thee have had dominion [ba`al] over us: but by thee only will we make mention [zakar] of thy name [shem].   KJV-Interlinear

13 O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.   ESV

Leaders come and go, but none are eternal and certainly none are deity, and none are remembered as Christ will be remembered throughout history and forever.

History is littered with rulers and would be rulers.  All aspire to greatness.  All lack the sovereignty and ability and resources to be great. And all have been placed into history not by themselves, but according to the courtesy of Christ.

Likewise, all leaders have been removed from history at the direction of Christ.

Jesus Christ controls history and all that is in it.

Mans greatest mistake is to presume that man has some say and control over history in complete disregard to Gods plan.

Only a fool who lives but a few decades would presume to have control or power greater than one who has lived forever.  Christ has of course been around forever.  He created all things, and for Him all things were created.

Humanity is here to serve the purpose of God, which is truth.  But unfortunately too many serve with disregard to truth, presume that truth is what they say it is, and assume that they can write their own eternal plan from the perspective of a very limited life.

Who will be remembered, is Christ.  No one else, when it is all said and done, will be remembered, regardless of their role.

Isaiah 26:12

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:12

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12 LORD [Y@hovah], thou wilt ordain [shaphath] peace [shalowm] for us: for thou also hast wrought [pa`al] all our works [ma`aseh] in us.   KJV-Interlinear

12 O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.   ESV

The entirety of the spiritual life is courtesy of God.  God the Father planned the divine plan.  God the Son is the written word and therefore the content of the spiritual life.  God the Holy Spirit is the mechanism of all spiritual function.

All peace, which is the one and only genuine peace in life, or in existence for that matter, comes as a result of the completed spiritual life.

Bible doctrine is the food and structure and means of growth and completion.  The Holy Spirit communicates Bible doctrine, filters it through our human spirit and into our soul.

Bible doctrine is the building material for spiritual growth.  Our application of Bible doctrine is the production of the spiritual life.  All of the spiritual life operates from inside the fellowship sphere, which is obtained by each person through confession.

To ordain peace means to declare peace that is certain, when the spiritual rules are obeyed and followed.

Our works, refers to spiritual work, which is the spiritual functions that exist while inside of fellowship.

All spiritual work is courtesy of God, in all three members of the Trinity, with respect to the spiritual life that we have.

We cannot earn spiritual brownie points through our efforts.  We do not deserve spiritual credit through our efforts.  We can only comply, listen, learn, use and therefore grow up.  And God does all of the work, never us.

Isaiah 26:11

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:11

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11 LORD [Y@hovah], when thy hand [yad] is lifted up [ruwm], they will not see [chazah]: but they shall see [chazah], and be ashamed [buwsh] for their envy [qin'ah] at the people [`am]; yea, the fire ['esh] of thine enemies [tsar] shall devour ['akal] them.   KJV-Interlinear

11 O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.   ESV

The Lords hand raised, calls attention to Him, in front of all of humanity.  God is there and obvious, in all of creation in one way or another.

And yet there are many people who disregard God, disregard Christ, and pursue things of their own invention.  Things that have no reality in fact, but only in fiction.

But there will come a time, which is the moment of each persons death, as well as at the end of history, when all who have been indifferent, and all who have disregarded truth, will see their own folly, and they will be embarrassed at the degree and unreasonableness and ridiculousness of their foolishness, in chasing after something that did not exist, instead of something that was and is very real.

And in the end, regardless of all of the hoorah of the enemies of God, regardless of all of the arrogance of those who presume themselves to be wise with false things, the fires of truth, will overwhelm and devour them.  Leaving them with literally nothing.

Isaiah 26:10

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:10

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10 Let favour be shewed [chanan] to the wicked [rasha`], yet will he not [bal] learn [lamad] righteousness [tsedeq]: in the land ['erets] of uprightness [n@kochah] will he deal unjustly [`aval], and will not [bal] behold [ra'ah] the majesty [ge'uwth] of the LORD [Y@hovah].   KJV-Interlinear

10 If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD.   ESV

In the previous verse, it is troubles that bring people to the Lord, not successes.  Troubles in the life serve to remind people of their flaws, of their limitations, of their weaknesses, or their ultimate dependence on someone greater than themselves.

Whereas, successes, do not accomplish the objective of bringing people to the Lord.

One would think, and certainly many complain, that they would love the Lord more, if only they had more.  But such is not the case.

It is the difficulties and frustrations of life that serve to bring the Lord before our eyes, more so than wealth or prosperity.

The prosperous generally fall away from their spiritual life, in their comfort and luxuries.  And often it is the successes of life that become the great enemy of ones ultimate spiritual success.

So, when problem after problem are seemingly coming at you endlessly, then look to that as a subtle blessing in disguise.  Or were it not for difficulties in life, then the Lord and ones eternal future would most likely be in jeopardy.

Why do we not all live in luxury and success?  Why do we not all win the jackpot?

Because those things would more often than not, destroy us, despite our opinions otherwise.

While success can be appreciated and the Lord praised for them, that is typically not the case.

Likewise, difficulties can become the source of complaints and the Lord blamed for them, but at least people will look to God when they are in need.  And even when life is a struggle, and when the complaints are too numerous to count, ultimately the struggles will drive people to Christ, more so than success would drive them to Him.

So, why are we not all blessed? Why does God not rain down prosperity on us?  After all we are believers in Christ, we are royal family of God, we are joint heirs of the new universe to come, we are royal priests and ambassadors, so do we not deserve a bit more favor, rather than stress?

And the answer is yes, but our favor comes in the form of training and learning and growth, and life and doctrine aid in that process.  Luxury does not.

Better to be poor and learn doctrine and see the Lord and all of His majesty, and have blessings beyond imagination for all of eternity, than to be wealthy now, and see nothing now, and have nothing for all of eternity.

And despite your assurances that you would not be that way, you are wrong.

Isaiah 26:9

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:9

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9 With my soul [nephesh] have I desired ['avah] thee in the night [layil]; yea, with my spirit [ruwach] within [qereb] me will I seek thee early [shachar]: for when thy judgments [mishpat] are in the earth ['erets], the inhabitants [yashab] of the world [tebel] will learn [lamad] righteousness [tsedeq].   KJV-Interlinear

9 My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.    ESV

The soul is the real essence of what you are.  What you think is the content of what and who you are.  Your deepest inner desire reflects the pattern of life that you have chosen for yourself.

And when your thoughts and intents and motivations are directed toward God, knowing God, which is knowing truth, which is the means of completing your total self, then your priorities in life are correct and on track.

Anything else is a pretense, a delusion, a straying away from orientation with life and reality.

The judgments of the earth, refers to all the problems, all of the responsibilities, all of the obligations, all of the distractions, all that exists.  And all of these and more, serve but one purpose, which is not so you could have a better life now, but so you can learn righteousness, which means Gods will and purpose and intent for all of creation and all of history and all that is, especially knowing and understanding the real difference between right and wrong, and why that difference exists in the first place.

Your focus should be in the day and in the night, and not drifting along in a fog, aimlessly, but focused on your future.  And your future is not the here and now only, but it is eternity.

And eternity is where you will spend the lions share of your total existence.

Your here and now is but a blink, if even that, on the timeline of your entire eternal life.

To place all of your thoughts and focus on the now only, is extremely short sighted.

The inhabitants of the earth refers to everyone.

All of creation and all that occurs in the daily life of everyone, is there in order to teach truth.

Isaiah 26:8

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:8

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8 Yea, in the way ['orach] of thy judgments [mishpat], O LORD [Y@hovah], have we waited [qavah] for thee; the desire [ta'avah] of our soul [nephesh] is to thy name [shem], and to the remembrance [zeker] of thee.   KJV-Interlinear

8 In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.  ESV

Ones actions reveal the genuineness or phoniness of ones desire to learn Gods will.

Even though the word for judgments often times refers to the punishments of God, it also refers to the trials and adversities of life.  And here our context is in reference to those who are obedient to God, and therefore the judgments of God is synonymous with the adversities of life from which God delivers or sustains us through.

As the passage has unfolded, God has made the path of the spiritual life straight and level and smooth, but the world throws up adversities and difficulties as well as enticements and distractions, that make getting through the spiritual life more than difficult.

The great equalizer within us, that most people lack, comes from a genuine inner desire, of knowing God and of succeeding in life in accordance with Gods will.  Far too often people speak of their desire, but their actions and follow through, do not happen. 

Their life thus becomes phony.  Their real priority is for themselves, in total disregard of Gods will.

Therefore, the desire of the soul, or lack of it, becomes the determining factor for ones success or failure.

As goes the desire, so goes the daily study. 

As goes the daily study, so goes ones spiritual growth. 

As goes the spiritual growth, so goes ones blessings.

Isaiah 26:7

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:7

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7 The way ['orach] of the just [tsaddiyq] is uprightness [meyshar]: thou, most upright [yashar], dost weigh [palac] the path [ma`gal] of the just [tsaddiyq].   KJV-Interlinear

7 The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous.   ESV

This verse does not refer to the uprightness of the individual, but to the path that they should follow in order to obtain uprightness.

The uprightness of God is not the same as man perceives uprightness.

God is truth.  God is communicated to us through the scriptures.  The scriptures are the content of Bible doctrine.

We learn Bible doctrine through instruction, which we call study. 

Bible doctrine is the food of the soul and food is eaten daily.

Therefore the way to uprightness is through a daily study of Bible doctrine, and thus the individual obtains Gods uprightness, or knowledge of doctrine, and through study and learning and utilization of that doctrine, it is inculcated into and throughout the soul, becoming an integral part of the essence of the individual.

Whereas the world offers only things that are external to the person, the spiritual life becomes internal and an intimate part of the individual.

God makes level the way, and this refers to the fairness of God, in that the spiritual life is equally available to all, regardless of ones situation.

To make level, means to clear all barriers, to make straight and level and smooth.  An individual does not have to jump or climb over obstacles or go over, under, or around them, does not have to climb uphill, will not stumble downhill.  The individual believer in Christ, is given the easiest possible path to travel in order to obtain the fullest spiritual life possible.

This includes knowing where you are going, having a road map, having a compass, having all that is necessary for one to know where they are, where they have come from, and where their destination is, and how to get there.

The world offers none of these things, and quite conversely, the world tires its best to confuse and disorganize and disorient, and guide the individual in all of the wrong directions.

Isaiah 26:6

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:6

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6 The foot [regel] shall tread it down [ramac], even the feet [regel] of the poor [`aniy], and the steps [pa`am] of the needy [dal].   KJV-Interlinear

6 The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.”   ESV

The wicked of the world is not exclusive to only those who are wealthy and successful, but the wicked also includes the poor and the needy, who despite their dire circumstances, have still rejected Christ.

Being poor is not a criteria for forgiveness.  The poor can still, and often do, have a wicked attitude, or the world owes me, attitude.

One of the worst possible conclusions of a life, is not limited to being successful and rejecting Christ and then losing it all to the Lake of Fire, but being unsuccessful and destitute, and still rejecting Christ.  Losing in life as well as in eternity is the worst of the worst possible summaries of ones life.  But only the defiant have themselves to blame for that.

And when God brings judgment, He will not ease up when it comes to the poor of the world, the unbelieving poor, the defiant poor.

Evil is evil and there is never an excuse for excusing evil, nor blaming ones life circumstances, to justify evil.

Everyone, whether rich or poor, has the opportunity to believe in Christ, has the opportunity to want to have a relationship with God, has an opportunity to listen, to learn to grow spiritually.  The spiritual life has nothing to do with ones situation in life, it has everything to do with ones attitude.

Everyone, whether rich or poor, whether talented or handicapped, has an equal opportunity to advance in their spiritual life and be a phenomenal spiritual success for eternity.

But bitterness or blame or defiance, or stubborn rejection of Christ, has no place in the spiritual life.  You only bring harm to yourself with that attitude.

This is the devils world.  If you want to lay the blame, then put it where it belongs, Satan.

But, do not remain on blame, even of Satan, but focus on your spiritual opportunity and look to eternity where you can more than define a phenomenal situation for yourself, for the forever.

When God judges, whether in your life or at the end of history, being poor, will not help you, if you are filled with bitterness and hate and so forth.

Isaiah 26:5

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:5

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5 For he bringeth down [shachach] them that dwell [yashab] on high [marowm]; the lofty [sagab] city [qiryah], he layeth it low [shaphel]; he layeth it low [shaphel], even to the ground ['erets]; he bringeth [naga`] it even to the dust [`aphar].   KJV-Interlinear

5 For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust.   ESV

The inhabitants of the city or lofty places, is synonymous for those people who are proud, arrogant, and therefore presume that they have no need for God.

For people who have no need for God, even people who pretend to worship God, in reality look to their own interests and conveniences.

They build their own cities, and look to the structure with pride and accomplishment.

They presume they have their own knowledge and therefore do not have a need for anything that comes from God.

What they say and think and feel are enough for them.  Their reason is enough for them.  Their invented philosophies are enough for them.

They consider only the physical universe and do not expect anything beyond that.

With no direct interaction with God, they see only what they want to see, and do not look further.

Even when Jesus was walking the face of this earth for three-and-a-half years, there was very little questioning about life or the world or anything that could have been asked.  Such a unique opportunity to learn great things, but was lost because people did not look beyond the here and now.

And when life is all said and done, those who have resisted learning Bible doctrine, will have nothing.

And less than nothing, their life’s worth will be down to the ground, lower than the dust, meaning zero worth.  And to live a life, a whole life and end up with nothing is in itself a huge waste of ones time.

Isaiah 26:4

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:4

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4 Trust [batach] ye in the LORD [Y@hovah] for ever [`ad]: for in the LORD [Yahh] JEHOVAH [Y@hovah] is everlasting [`owlam] strength [tsuwr]:   KJV-Interlinear

4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.   ESV

Trust is complete and total confidence.  No circumstance, no situation, no instance of activity or event in this world can crush, distort, or change this type of confidence that you can have in Christ, if your faith is strong.

Faith is developed through spiritual growth.

Spiritual growth is developed through a daily study of Bible doctrine, and the application of that doctrine to ones daily life.

The Lord Jehovah, ‘Jah Jahovah,’ doubled, here emphasizes the power the strength of God.

This power and strength, is His active and ongoing power and strength which is never idle, but in continual motion and action.

Thus, our faith needs likewise be in the same continual motion and action, and never set aside especially in times of stress, burdens or pressure, especially when life seems hopeless.

For in God there is no such thing as hopelessness.  Likewise in our faith, there should be no such thing as hopelessness, only patience to see how life’s situations will work themselves out.

And of course this does not mean that we become passive and do nothing, but proactive and utilize the resources that God has given us.

Bible study and growth serves to open our eyes to the many resources that God has provided.

Isaiah 26:3

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:3

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3 Thou wilt keep [natsar] him in perfect [shalowm] peace [shalowm], whose mind [yetser] is stayed [camak] on thee: because he trusteth [batach] in thee.   KJV-Interlinear

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.   ESV

One of the more popular verses that people memorize.  This verse emphasizes the objective of spiritual maturity as a result of learning and growing through Bible doctrine, through faith.

Him, is a reference to the individual believer in Christ.

Peace is repeated here as perfect peace, and this is the state of mind in perfect contentment and relaxed mental attitude that results from spiritual growth.

Whose mind is stayed, is a phrase that makes it clear that peace comes from the content of Bible doctrine in the soul.  The mind refers to the center of content as in memory or knowledge.  And the word for stayed, indicates the focus of ones thoughts.  That focus is on the Lord, who is Christ.  But the person of Christ is embodied in the written word, or Bible doctrine.  Jesus Christ is the written Word, as well as the living word referring to the living person of Jesus.

To know doctrine is to know Christ.

Without knowing Bible doctrine, one cannot possibly know Christ.

Trust is faith and the confidence and poise and maturity that results from advancement in the spiritual life.

Therefore, faith leads to study, and study of Bible doctrine leads to growth.  Growth leads to utilization and continued thoughts of doctrine in the life.

The result is a relaxed mental attitude, and peace, which is the peace of God that exceeds all human understanding.

Isaiah 26:2

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:2

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2 Open [pathach] ye the gates [sha`ar], that the righteous [tsaddiyq] nation [gowy] which keepeth [shamar] the truth ['emuwn] may enter in [bow'].   KJV-Interlinear

2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.   ESV

This is prophetic, but not what you are thinking.

The statement here is for the gates, not of the city, but of heaven.  It is opening the gates for an entire nation to enter.

No nation can enter into a city, no city or nation on this earth has gates that allow entrance within.

Throughout the Old Testament, people who believed in the Savior, the Son of God, even though they did not have a formal name as we have today, were saved nonetheless.

But when they died, they did depart from this earth to be face to face with the Lord in heaven.

They went to a compartment in the underworld called Paradise.  This is one of the four compartments in the underworld.

And there they awaited the actual event of the cross in order to have their salvation finalized and the promise of salvation fulfilled.  Before the Cross, salvation was only a promise. And as far as Satan was concerned, salvation was only a possibility.  But of course from Gods point of view the promise was as good as the actual fulfilment of the promise.

But we know from the many studies of Satan, that he challenged everything and was contentions with everything that God put forward.

So, believers went to Paradise, which in itself was a perfect place, but not the permanent place as Heaven is permanent.

They were in effect, prisoners in Paradise.  Captives as a result of Satan’s complaint, but under the protection of God until the promise could be fulfilled.

And so, after the Cross occurred, then Christ went to Paradise and led the captives, out of Paradise and into heaven in a victory parade.

Paradise is now empty and no longer of any use.

Here is the announcement of that victory.  The gates of heaven are opened, and the entire nation of believers will enter into heaven.

During our dispensation, when we die, we go directly to heaven.  There would obviously be a steady stream of people entering into heaven over the course of these last 2000 plus years.  We do not all go there at the same time.

During the Tribulation, the Christians who will die during those seven years, will go directly to heaven.  During the Millennium, the believers who die will go directly to heaven.

Then, at the end of time, at the end of the Millennium, then all believers, after all of the resurrections have been completed, will enter into the new universe.  That will not be a gate opening entrance, but a universe combined with heaven creation that will occur all around us.

Faith is the basis for salvation, and membership in the family and nation of God.

Isaiah 26:1

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Isaiah 26:1

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

1 In that day [yowm] shall this song [shiyr] be sung [shiyr] in the land ['erets] of Judah [Y@huwdah]; We have a strong [`oz] city [`iyr]; salvation [y@shuw`ah] will God appoint [shiyth] for walls [chowmah] and bulwarks [cheyl].   KJV-Interlinear

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.   ESV

Previously we had the promise of the foretold destruction.  Now we have the promise of the restoration.

Previously we had the wasted city with every house shut up, and now we have prosperity restored with comings and goings unrestricted.

Previously we had a city with mighty walls for protection, and now we have a city with a small wall, a mound of dirt, that is far more protective than the high and thick bulwarks of before.

The word for bulwarks, means a space outside of the wall, like a mound of dirt or earth built up in a hump around the city.

The picture portrayed here is that God will raise up a son of defense, a son of the larger wall.  The bulwarks being the son or the outer wall, and the inner wall being the defense.  The smaller wall being the protection outside of the larger wall.  The smaller being far more superior than the larger, more permanent, more lasting, an impenetrable wall, through or over which nothing may pass or conquer or remove.

Whereas, humanity built large and complex structures, whether military, economic, or philosophic, and so forth, all will fail.

And God will build up a smaller shield, by comparison, through which nothing may penetrate.

The former city will be destroyed and nothing will remain. 

The subsequent city will be open spaces and will remain forever.

The walls of protection of the former, were not salvation whatsoever.

The subsequent smaller walls, of faith, will be the real and true salvation, through and by means of God, who is the Savior, who is Christ.