Peace on Earth-At Last! - Part A

In any era of history any time.

Human beings decide what to bring peace on earth. It's just an impossible task, but it will happen will happen one day and Isaiah the prophet happens to be one of those profits predicts the coming day of peace.

The world has not moved the time of true peaceful years for today on connect with Skip Heitzigs or Skip shares with you about a coming ruler will finally bring peace on earth right now we want to tell you about a resource that shines important light on to what's happening in the Middle East. The beating heart of Bible prophecy is the land of Israel and the Middle East.

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Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Their stated goal was to end war and to bring in world peace so wonderful goal to have but let's be frank. They failed miserably. Since the United Nations was founded. There has not been a single year of peace anywhere on earth now want to give him a break. A little bit because you could be a stated goal, but nobody has been able to pull it off. No, not the United Nations, not indicating that any kingdom in any era of history any time.

Human beings decide working to bring peace on earth.

It's just an impossible task, but it will happen will happen one day and Isaiah the prophet happens to be one of those prophets who predicts the coming day of peace.

This message is called peace on earth at last, and it will happen when and only when the Prince of peace returns and takes over what he created.

I want you to try to imagine for a moment, a world without any war, try to imagine a world in perfect peace, a pristine utopia. Imagine a world that does not need Homeland security.

Imagine a world that doesn't have any missile testing because there are no missiles to test. Imagine a world where all the politicians are saints about that always gets a laugh that women and that's because you are really having to stretch your imagination. Imagine a world in which everything is always fair.

There is no need of an army.

There is no need of a Navy there's no need of an Air Force.

Now imagine a world that is so healthy that if somebody dies at age 100. They are said to die as an infant. Imagine a world where the curse is removed, the animal kingdom is tamed. The environment is pristine. Imagine a world where toddlers can play in a snake pit and not be harmed and where the snakes are unharmed by the toddlers as well. Imagine a world that is abundant with food but also packed full of people know we can only imagine that it's only in our imagination. One day we will not have to imagine it because it's going to come and it is called the kingdom or the kingdom age or the millennial kingdom or the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. Whatever title it is the kingdom age. Isaiah the prophet is the author of this book and I were looking at Isaiah chapter 9 Isaiah chapter 9 is one of the most famous passages in all of the Scripture. Unfortunately, our people usually only pull it out around Christmas time because it mentions the child being born and and so it's the finds its way into Christmas cards and it's preached on a Christmas when Isaiah wrote this he wrote about 100 years before the Babylonian captivity about 600 years before the birth of Christ Isaiah in this passage and several others. By the way, in this book is book is full of kingdom prophecy of Isaiah is looking past his own lifetime past Bethlehem, though there are overtones of it in verse six he looks past the first coming of the Messiah past the cross past the resurrection into the future when the Messiah reigns as monarch on the earth today. If you you mention a king or kingdom to Americans that doesn't sit very well and we were a nation founded in rebellion to the king whatever came reign over us. We left the king of England's reign over us. But when we talk about are some very, very patriotic person vectors a small anti-England I think.

But the idea of the kingdom is is a monarchy that the monarchy were talking about is a compassionate, benevolent, all-knowing and all loving God ruling over his creation and what I want to give you out of Isaiah chapter 9 verse six and seven are are three reasons why the Dominion were talking about is going to be successful in bringing lasting peace.

And it all revolves around the ruler it's the right person at the right time to look at a remarkable king and his royal character and then his righteous kingdom.

Look at verse six and seven which leader altogether.

Unless a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish with judgment and justice from that time forward. Even forever, and I've always loved. In particular, this last little sentence. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. We would translate that God's going to get her done. He's gonna make sure that happens. Now let's go back to verse six and and notice this king that is predicted three things are immediately set of him on his humanity is mentioned, unto us a child is born. His DOT is alluded to, unto us a son is given, and his sovereignty as stated government will be upon his shoulders. Let's take each one unto us a child is born that's Christmas that's the nativity that's when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That's what we celebrate every Christmas time, but you will notice that Isaiah goes on to further identify this child who is born by calling him the mighty God.

So the child who is going to be born.

According to Isaiah is also mighty God which begs the question immediately and that is how does God get born communities.

God, how is that even possible. How can God fit into a womb. How do you get God in a placenta filled with amniotic fluid and there's only one answer that a virgin birth is the only way God could possibly be borne by the way. Isaiah also in his prophecy predicts that not here, but elsewhere in chapter 7, the virgin birth. The only way to make this happen is if this child is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a human girl so that biologically he is related to Mary but not biologically related to Joseph but he was then fully human. He was born. Thus he was. He was human and that that means he experience what you and I experience unit. He knows what it's like to be tired as a human. He he knew what it was like to get hungry as a human and he knew what it was like to suffer and ultimately die as a human, but something else is said of this remarkable king not only his humanity, but it says undo us a son is given, did you notice the wording, there does not say unto us a child is born, unto us a son is born, but unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, there is a suggestion just in the tax of preexistence. In fact, all stated this way, pre-existent deity. In other words before he was born as a child he already existed as God as the second person of the Trinity. But when the child was born. That's when the sun was also given.

That's John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Now try to get your head around this one. Jesus Christ was the only person who existed before he was born is the only person who existed before he was born. No wonder Paul wrote to Timothy and said great is the mystery of godliness that God was manifested in the flesh what it means is Jesus never became God.

Jesus was God before he was born and remained God, after he was human again. We can thank Isaiah for putting it all together in chapter 7 and he will be called the man you well which means God with us. So, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, that's his humanity. That's his deity.

Notice further description is his sovereignty, for it says, and the government will be upon his shoulder. Now it's in the future tense and will be upon his shoulder. He's looking with the prophetic lens into the future beyond Christmas, beyond the cross into the kingdom.

When the government of the world will rest upon his shoulder. By the way, the word government. This is the Hebrew text were dealing with in the Old Testament are Greek. The Hebrew word for government here is the word miso and it literally means the rule of a monarch. I really like this. For this reason, when Jesus comes. He's the monarch. He rules as as one case is not voted in for four years now.

It went overly like the Messiah. We want to we want to tough is a monarchy and you can impeach him can do that he's in for good. It's the rule of a monarch. But what's this idea, but the government will be on his shoulder.

In ancient times governance was considered a burden to be born on the shoulder of a monarch. They understood the responsibility for the rule you have to bear the weight of responsibility for the decisions you make, and they considered it a burden. It's a burden that the king wears or the governor. Where's now we live in a day and age when the government wants to put the burden on us, but they saw the burden on them.

In those days and it was symbolically represented by the robe that the Kenmore would wear the robe on the shoulders to signify burden of government resting upon the shoulders of the monarch course we know that Jesus took off his royal robes in heaven, so to speak, came down to the earth as a child born as a son given to walk among his people. Love always love the story about the king who twice a year decided to take off his kingly robes and and dress up like a person I should say dress down like a peasant. He disguise himself walked around people in the city and the countryside and this drove his guards and officials knots.

This is a security issue. Sir, you can't beat can do that and he did it anyway. Twice a year, and his rationale was pretty clear he said I cannot rule my people unless I know how they live. So God in the form of Jesus Christ became the child born the son given one day the government will be upon his shoulders but because he lived among us. He knows how we live. So essentially already we have a virgin born son of God coming into the world that he had made one day ruling the world with a literal earthly geopolitical kingdom that will encompass all the kingdoms and the governments of the world and if you think I'm just sort of making this up for or adding what isn't really there. You need to read a little more of your Old Testament because even Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan king who ruled the world during his day and age in Babylon, member of the night. He had a dream and he called all the wise men of Babylon, said look I had a dream last night and I want you to tell me what it means in. Basically they said good you tell us what you dreamed will make something up in a will and will make some interpretation of the tell us what you dream. He does know that's too easy. You tell me what I dreamed and then you tell me what it means if you don't do that you're all dead, so I that didn't go very well because none of them could do that.

Daniel stepped in and so's upset I can do it and I can do because I'm great but I can do because there's a God in heaven knows everything and that he has revealed it to me so so king cares what you saw in your dream you saw a huge statue made out of gold and silver than bronze and iron than ironclad and that represents successive world dominating kingdoms. Your number one near that of goal you control everything on earth. But after you another king will arise Medo Persian Empire. After that another kingdom will arise. The Grecian Empire after that another kingdom will arise. The Roman Empire, all of it happened. And then there's going to be in the latter days, a confederation of kings 10 nations and in your dream okay and you saw a stone cut out not with human hands coming from heaven careening to the earth, it hit the statue busted it up destroyed all those kingdoms and that rock grew into a mountain that covered the earth and convicting said yeah that's like exactly what I saw. Do what is it mean Daniel said in the days of those kings, God will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. It's a kingdom on earth like Nebuchadnezzar like Medo Persia, etc. he will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom shall stand forever. Here is the remarkable king child born son.

Given the government will be upon his shoulder. Now, let's keep going. In verse six and and go to the second reason why this dominion will be successful in bringing lasting peace and that is his royal character. You will notice that in verse six, Isaiah gives four names to this king.

Some would count five if the keeper, there'll talk about that but when Isaiah gives these names, it doesn't mean the child will actually be called by those names is all I can really say one of a counselor over here or a mighty God, but but these are descriptive characteristics of his reign flew the first one.

His name will be called wonderful minutes is, in my Bible counselor, so some say his name is wonderful another name is counselor and then other versions more modern versions take the, out so wonderful becomes the adjective for counselor so his name will be called wonderful Counselor, you know what that matter. It's all true. He's just plain wonderful and he is counselor but is also a wonderful counselor and really that's probably the best way to see it take, out because literally in Hebrew. It's put this way he will be a wonder of a counselor. He will be a wonder of the counselor. In other words, his wisdom as a counselor transcends all human wisdom.

Now, let's be frank here. Anybody can give you counsel. It's not always wonderful might be well-meaning but it might be ungodly counsel. By the way everybody has an opinion of how you should live everybody this really think she should have a certain value system which is their value system. Everybody has an opinion how you should live. But Jesus counsel is wonderful. He is the wonderful counselor on there's an old Danish proverb that says he who builds, according to every man's advice will have a crooked house to review if you try to discard about everybody's opinion, your life was going to look wonky, but when Jesus was on earth, and he came to his hometown of Nazareth, the people marveled. They were all amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. Wow, that was good. He's wonderful, counselor imagine if Jesus opened a counseling office down by your house so there is his name out there. Jesus counseling hours are given you going to get counsel you walk in and he already knows everything about you yet. She's not had a rough week. My boss and he goes into getting that your Internet keep going.

I saw what your busted and I heard what you said back to your box right so heat so he knows everything and he would always get the right advice.

In John chapter 7 Jesus was in the temple, and he spoke in the official said no man ever spoke like this man. This counselor was and will be always wonderful and when he rules and reigns. You'll see why this is important because the law will go forth from where he is presiding in Jerusalem and will be wonderful counsel about the way I I need to say that perhaps one of the reasons that there has never been peace on earth hereto for is because politicians usually don't seek God we don't get counsel they get advice they have their own analysts around them.

The other ambassadors around them. They get on the phone and usually talk to other leaders of her getting counsel from one another but rarely do you find a leader of a nation who is really intent on finding out what God has to say that height with a message from his series, give peace a chance now want to share about an exciting opportunity you have particular knowledge of God's word even deeper personal and small Bible study is a great way to learn about God and his word if you want to learn about the Bible's inspiration and inerrancy and interpretation when you take the history of authenticity of the five healthy college to increase your knowledge of the Bible and your confidence of its authority education in biblical studies will impact your spiritual life for the rest of your life. Classes start January 10 so if I could take Calvary church college.com listeners like you play a vital part in this ministry. Generosity makes an eternal impact by helping so many others to the truths found in cats weren't even impacted by this radio podcast consider supporting connected skintight significant to help people around the world find spiritual nourishment through difficult teaching just call 800 9218 88,892 to 4th visit connected time/tenant cannot escape.com/donate.

Thank you. Tune in tomorrow escape talks about a future kingdom of peace will reign and how you're going to cancel next week Skip presentation of connection communication to guns, never changing truth