Sermon Tone Analysis

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

Spring Valley Mennonite; August 21, 2022: Isaiah 11

What does the future hold?

How much time do you spend thinking about the future?

Admittedly, the Christian should think differently on the subject than does the world, although we live in the present and wisely must plan with our limited knowledge for our near future.

It is a real discipline to not worry about the "what ifs" of the future.

If only we could know the particulars about our future, planning for it would be much easier!

But those particulars remain unknown, as the recent pandemic proved to us.

We could be driven by fear by this uncertainty, or we could relax in the knowledge that God is in control.

In Isaiah 11 we are given a glimpse into our future, and as Billy Graham once said, "I've read the last page of the Bible; it's all going to turn out all right."

We can sympathize with prophets like Isaiah, as their glimpse into the future was filled with a yearning and desire to understand.

As our Lord encouraged us in Matthew 13:16-17, "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

We have a more complete understanding of God's eternal plan as we have the complete Bible.

The New Testament explains much of what these prophets foretold.

We now can see into the future, a future which is glorious and very encouraging.

A big part of the "so what?" of this passage is that God keeps His word.

What God predicted through the prophets such as Isaiah is 100% accurate.

We believe and take hope as God has given us a glimpse into the future.

Turn to Isaiah 11 as we consider some details about the Kingdom Jesus will establish after His return to earth.

Look with me at verse 1 (read) We see described:

I.

A SHOOT OUT OF THE ROOT OF JESSE

I recently had to cut down a rotting redbud tree in my backyard.

But every few weeks I find sprouts growing out of the stump.

There is still life in the roots.

In the years following God's judgment on both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, the independent nation of Israel including the monarchy of King David gradually faded out, like a tree that is cut down.

The lineage of David continued, but power and leadership was always under the thumb of the Gentile nations.

Herod, the king installed by the Romans, who ruled when Jesus was born, had no ties to the lineage of King David.

From the time of the captivity in Babylon forward, the Jews were longing for the promised Messiah King Who would deliver them from this Gentile oppression.

In the fulness of time, from those roots of Israel and particularly from the stem of Jesse (King David's father), Jesus Christ, the descendant of King David was born that winter night in Bethlehem.

Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah was born.

Sadly, as John reported, "He came unto His own people and His own people did not receive Him."

Because the Jewish nation rejected Jesus, there are some Jews who still wait for the Messiah.

Scripture does tell us that during the seven- year Tribulation Period which immediately precedes the return of Christ, a great number of Jewish people will come to accept Jesus as their Messiah, and at the beginning of the Millennium, all Jews will be regathered in the land promised to them.

When Jesus came the first time, His purpose was not to rule as an exalted King over an earthly kingdom, but rather to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Plainly speaking, Jesus was born a man so He could die the death of a man.

His death on the cross provided the sacrifice of the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus willingly shed His atoning blood which covers our sin.

His prophesied earthly kingdom awaits His second coming and will come to fruition during the 1000 year Millennium described in Revelation chapter 19.

During the Millennium all the Old Testament promises to Israel will be fulfilled.

The last 2000 years has been about the church.

The Millennium will center around Israel with Messiah Jesus reigning.

Isaiah continues to describe the Messiah in verse 2 (Read).

II.

THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT IN THE MESSIAH (V. 2)

Verse 2 tells us that the Messiah will possess the fulness of the Holy Spirit.

Now, Jesus was no less God before the Holy Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism.

When the voice of God spoke on that occasion saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased" it served as a confirmation at the beginning of His ministry.

Jesus' baptism and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove was a fulfillment of this prophesy, as well as a sign to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah.

The seven-fold descriptive words of verse 2 speak of the completeness of this gift.

These seven characteristics of the Spirit describe the Messiah as having the full measure of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1 when He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor..." This prophesy was true of Jesus in His first Advent and will be strikingly evident during His second Advent.

Isaiah moves on describing characteristics of the earthly Millennial kingdom of Christ.

Read vv.

3-5.

III.

THE RULE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE

We saw in chapter 9 that Jesus would be the Prince of Peace.

In those verses we saw Christ as the conquering warrior who would intervene at the great battle of Armageddon, the great concluding event of the Great Tribulation.

It instructive that in dealing with evil, spiritual conflict is inevitable.

Evil must be resisted in God's power.

Peace in the Millennial Kingdom will be enforced by the iron rod of Messiah.

No one will be able to stand against the Messiah.

Isaiah emphasizes righteousness and justice characterizing Jesus' Kingdom.

In this present earthly kingdom ruled by Satan, there is very little concern for righteousness and fairness.

Rather, "Might determines right."

Whoever has the power makes the rules.

This is our present situation in America.

Evil has increased as Christian influence and the fear of God has diminished.

This is exactly why we are observing the present wave of violence.

Our culture has declared that there are no absolute standards of morality, demonstrated by the redefinition of marriage, gender confusion, and the sacrifice of the unborn on the altar of convenience.

When all absolute standards are discarded, nothing stands in the way of chaos, rebellion and disorder.

By contrast in Messiah's future earthly kingdom, the weak will have an Advocate as Jesus rules over all the earth-The Government will be upon His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6-7).

The wicked will be swiftly dealt with.

There will no slick lawyers and unjust judges who allow the guilty to go free.

The word of Messiah will be law, fair and impartial.

Justice will prevail.

Righteousness will be the standard in government.

You might be asking, "Why will there be a need for judging?

Won't everyone be a believer in this kingdom?"

Understand that all those who initially populate the earth entering the Millennium will be believers, righteous Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Christ during the previous seven-year Tribulation Period.

These are the ones who somehow survive the severe persecution during the rule of Antichrist.

All non-believers present when Christ triumphantly returns at Armageddon will either be killed in battle, or if not soldiers, will be judged and consigned to eternal punishment.

Only the righteous ones alive at that time will supply the initial population of the Kingdom.

Because of the devastating judgments in the previous 7 years, and persecution by Antichrist, the population of believers alive will be reduced.

These make up the initial population at the beginning of the Millennium.

In the following 1000 years of peace and blessing many children will be born, lifespans will be greatly increased, along with childbearing years.

And because those born will still have their inborn sin nature, even though Satan will bound and out of the picture, and the culture will have a strong Christian flavor, sin will still be present.

Each of these who are born will have the choice to choose to follow Messiah, or not.

Even though it will be so much easier to live righteously with many temptations absent from society, those born will need to be saved.

The law of the Lord will hold sway all over the world.

All disputes will be settled in accordance to God's absolute standards.

The weak and the poor will enjoy perfect justice.

Retribution for wrongdoing will be swift, unerring, and inescapable.

But because of the sin nature of man, there will be the need for judging and punishment.

One interesting note is that there will be those who are poor, even in a perfect, prosperous and just society.

Why?

One aspect of the sin nature is the tendency toward laziness and sloth, the desire to "get something without working for it."

We see this clearly in our modern culture of entitlement.

There is also the sinful tendency to take advantage of someone weaker.