***A note to explain why the Bible study hasn't been posted since last week: I live in an area of Tennessee that was devastated by Hurricane Helene and have had connectivity issues since Friday. On Friday morning I had most of the Bible study written when our power went off for 40 minutes. When it came back on, it kept blinking on and off for a while, interrupting my internet connection. Then it went off completely and didn't come back on until after 8pm. We were without home internet for several days and are still without cell service unless we drive nearly to the city limits of the next city. I apologize for being absent but didn't have a way to update anyone about why I was absent. All of our family members are safe and all of our property is safe but there are still some missing people in our county and some confirmed dead. There is a lot of personal and commercial property damage as well. Please remember Northeast Tennessee in your prayers.***
"Listen to Me, My people; hear Me, My nation: Instruction will go out from Me; My justice will become a light to the nations." (Isaiah 51:4) When the Lord says "My nation" we know He means Israel. But people from other nations will be drawn to His light; whenever the Lord says "the nations" He means the Gentiles. Earlier in Isaiah 42 we found the statement that the Gentiles would place their hope in Him and in Matthew 12:21 we find this statement applied to the Lord Jesus---in Him will the Gentiles hope---and we know that the gospel message has enlightened the spirits of untold numbers of people throughout the world and it will continue to do so.
In Romans 11 the Apostle Paul compares the nation of Israel to an olive tree and he says that the Gentiles were "grafted" onto this tree. We who are of Gentile heritage were not the Lord's nation but we are His people now because of our faith in God the Son. The Lord lets Isaiah know that people from all over the earth will place their hope in Him. "My righteousness draws near speedily, My salvation is on the way, and My arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to Me and wait in hope for My arm." (Isaiah 51:5) References in the Scriptures to the "arm" are references to power and authority. You've probably heard the expression, "The long arm of the law," as a reference to the power and authority of police officers and to their ability to track down criminals and foster justice for those who were the victims of criminals. The Lord is powerful on behalf of those who are His and He avenges wrongs done to them.
This next segment has the end times in mind, when all wrongs will be avenged and when all the Lord's people will enjoy eternity with Him. "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But My salvation will last forever, My righteousness will never fail." (Isaiah 51:6)
The Lord Jesus made a similar statement in Matthew 24:35 when He said that heaven and earth will pass away but His word will never pass away. The Apostle Peter states that the heavens would pass away and that the earth and its works would be burned up. (2 Peter 3:7-10) What does this mean? It means there is a day of wrath coming, which is referenced by the Apostle John in 6:12-17 when he was given a vision of the sky receding and the mountains and islands moving from their places. He said this was because, "The great day of His wrath has come."
We who have placed our faith in the Lord do not need to fear the day of wrath. The day of wrath is not for the children of the Lord but for the children of darkness. It is for those who renounce Him to their dying breath and who will receive in eternity what they always wanted in life: to have nothing to do with Him. But for those who love the Lord, they will live in the presence of the King of kings and the Lord of lords on a remade earth---on an earth that has been restored to an Eden-like state. The entire atmosphere of the universe we inhabit will be completely different, for the Apostle John was shown "a new heaven and a new earth". (Revelation 21:1) This will be an atmosphere never polluted by sin. This will be a world where our enemy, that old serpent, has never walked up and down looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) He will have been thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity, never to accuse or tempt mankind again. (Revelation 20:10) We will live forever on a perfect earth, in the light and love of our perfect Savior and, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)
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