Watchman Radio Hour

Announcer: Welcome to the Watchman Radio Hour, coming to you from Portland, Oregon, here in the beautiful Northwest. This is David Shaltiel, your announcer. The Watchman Radio Hour is a production of Watchman Radio Ministries International, an evangelistic ministry reaching out to the peoples of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And now here's our speaker, Alex Dodson, to bring you this week's message from God's Word.

Alex Dodson: For our scripture reading today, let us turn to the book of Isaiah, chapter 45, and we will read verses 23 through 25. Let us hear the Word of God.

By myself I have sworn; my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow, and by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, “In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exalt.

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the Bible that you have given to us. We thank you that it's your infallible Word and that we can put our full confidence in everything that it says. And now, Father, we pray that you will send forth your Holy Spirit in great convicting power. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

What will become of the church? Some say the church will go down in defeat. Satan will take over for a time. Some say the church will become so weak that it will have to be whisked out of the way. Yet, is this the picture the Bible paints of the church? Jesus said that the church would be like a mighty tide that Satan would not be able to prevail against.

In Daniel, it says that the Kingdom of God will grow from a small rock to a mighty mountain and fill the whole earth. Jesus gave the command to make disciples of all nations. Did he not have a worldwide vision in mind of all nations coming to acknowledge him in this age? Sometimes it seems that Satan has the upper hand, that he is winning the battle, but this is not true. His doom is sure as the old hymn says, "One little word shall fell him."

Today, we need the powerful preaching of the Word of God more than ever. Satan is attacking on many fronts. Only the powerful preaching of the Word of God can stop him. Once that Word goes forth in power, the Kingdom of God will prevail, and we must believe that. Our greatest need in this nation at this hour is a national spiritual revival. It is for this that we must pray with all our might.

The gospel will prevail in this world. We have God's promise, and he does not lie. Again, our text is Isaiah 45, verses 23 through 25. And it says again, "By myself I have sworn; my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked. Before me every knee will bow, and by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exalt."

God promises the universal spread of the gospel in these verses. The church will not go down and defeat in this age. We can be assured of that because God's promises are true. Modern-day prophets who announce the church's doom are lying. Be sure of that. God does not lie. It's on his promises that we must rely.

Now let us see, in the first place, God's promise. Again, verse 23 says, "By myself I have sworn, and my mouth has uttered in all integrity, a word that will not be revoked. Before me every knee will bow and by me every tongue will swear." God's promise is true and certain. In the Old Geneva Bible in Note 1 on this verse it says, "That is, that the thing which I have promised shall be faithfully performed."

Edward J. Young writes that men will turn to him and bow the knee before him will so surely occur that the Lord has sworn by himself, for there is no greater by whom he may swear. Kail and Delitzsch write, "Swearing by himself, God pledges what he swears with his own life. God is faithful, and when he makes a promise, he will bring it about."

And then let us see that he promises the worldwide spread and victory of the gospel. In Malachi 1:11 it says, "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be brought in my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord God Almighty.

God promises that the gospel will be victorious in the world. People from all nations will come to the Lord and worship him. In Isaiah 2:2 it says, "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains. It will be raised above the hills and all nations will stream to it."

In Isaiah 11:9 it says, "They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." All these great promises point to the victory of the gospel in this world in this age, and we must believe that. E.J. Young writes, "To kneel and to swear involve full and complete recognition of the sovereignty and power of the one to whom such homage is rendered."

Matthew Henry writes, "He has assured us that he will be universally submitted to, that the kingdoms of the world shall become his kingdom, they shall do him homage. Unto me every knee shall bow, and they shall bind themselves by an oath of allegiance to him. Unto me every tongue shall swear." This is applied to the dominion of our Lord Jesus.

And Matthew Henry writes again that he will be universally sought unto and application shall be made to him from all parts of the world. Unto him shall men of distant countries come to implore his favor, unto thee shall all flesh come with their request.

John Calvin, the great reformer, writes, "That to me every knee shall bow." By this mode of expression he means that all the Gentiles shall be supplicants to God because the astonishing deliverance of the church shall strike terror upon all. Yet hence also it follows that his worship shall be spread among all nations. For we cannot truly bend the knee before God till he hath been made known to us.

To an unknown God, indeed, men may render some kind of worship, but it's false and unprofitable. But here he speaks of a true profession, which proceeds from a knowledge of God deeply seated in our hearts. For where there is no faith, there can be no worship of God. And faith is not directed to a thing unknown or uncertain. Accordingly, he has made use of the sign to express the thing itself as is frequently done.

And then Calvin writes, "Paul applies this passage of Isaiah to the Last Judgment when he says in Romans 14:10 and 11, that we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Although the subject here treated of is the redemption of the people, the publication of the gospel and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. But he takes for granted what all ought to know, that those statements which relate to the kingdom of Christ must not be limited to any part of it, but extend to the whole of its course till it arrive at full perfection."

"The knee is bent to Christ when his doctrine is obeyed and when the preaching of the gospel is accepted. But many still oppose and boldly despise him. Satan contrives many schemes and incessantly carries on war with him. And therefore we are at a great distance from the full accomplishment of this prophecy. Then shall every knee be truly bent to Christ when he shall triumph over vanquished and utterly ruined adversaries, and shall render visible to all men his majesty which Satan and wicked men now oppose."

Thus Paul teaches that when Christ shall ascend his judgment seat to judge the world, then shall be fully accomplished that which began to be done at the commencement of the gospel and which we still see done from day to day. The worldwide victory of the gospel will not be accomplished overnight, but it will come in time. The gospel is advancing now in many parts of the world, but it will advance much more in the future. For the worldwide victory of the gospel is sure and certain, for God has promised.

And then let us see in the second place that God's enemies will submit. Verse 24 says, "They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame." Hearts will be open to acknowledge Christ. People from all over the world will come to acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior. They will find righteousness only in Christ, and they will draw strength from him.

Hearts that were formerly against Christ will be changed, and those who shook their fists in the face of God will be humbled. God will give many a new heart. For it says in Ezekiel 36:25 through 27, which will apply, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

Even God's enemies will come to him. In First Corinthians 15:24 and 25 it says, "Then the end will come when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet." Jesus must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The reign of Christ will be victorious. The spreading of the gospel will bring victory for the kingdom of God. Even the enemies of Christ will submit to him in time.

This we must believe. The end will not come until Christ is victorious in this age. Matthew Henry writes, "That it will be to no purpose to make opposition to him. All that are incensed against him, that rage at his bonds and cords, the nations that are angry because he has taken to himself his great power and has reigned, that have been incensed at the strictness of his laws, the success of the gospel and the spiritual nature of his kingdom, they shall be ashamed."

"Some shall be brought to a penitential shame for it. Others to a remediless ruin. One way or other, sooner or later, all that are uneasy at Christ's government and victories will be made ashamed of their folly and obstinacy. Blessed be God for the assurance here given, as that whatever becomes of us and our interests, the Lord will reign forever."

Those who shake their fists in the face of God today will tomorrow submit to him. That is the promise given here. Today, atheistic scientists mock at those who believe in God and creation. But one day they will be humbled and turn to the God they once mocked. That's the promise given here. College professors who think they know it all will one day be brought low and find out their knowledge was nothing compared to knowing God through Christ Jesus, for they will bow before him. They will come to him and be put to shame for their former unbelief.

And then let us see in the third place, the spiritual Israel, the worldwide church. Verse 25 says, "But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exalt or will glory." The descendants of Israel, the true descendants of Israel are all believers in Jesus Christ. All believers in Christ are the seed of Abraham.

Galatians 3:29 says, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." E.J. Young writes, "This verse constitutes a concluding declaration of the salvation of the true Israel taken from the whole human race." Matthew Henry writes, "All true Christians that depend upon Christ for strength and righteousness in him shall be justified and shall glory in that."

"First of all, believers of the seed of Israel, an upright praying seed. Secondly, the great privilege they enjoy by Jesus Christ is that in him and for his sake they are justified before God. Christ being made of God to them righteousness. All that are justified will own it is in Christ that they are justified, nor could they be justified by any other. And those who are justified shall be glorified. And therefore, thirdly, the great duty believers owe to Christ is to glory in him and to make their boast of him."

"Therefore he has made all in all to us, that whoso glories may glory in the Lord. And let us comply with this intention." John Calvin writes, "Then Jehovah shall be justified. He now makes a brief reply to an objection which might be urged that it appeared absurd to say that the Lord called the Gentiles who had always been alienated from him."

"Is it in vain that the Lord has chosen the seed of Abraham? Is his promise void which he so frequently repeated? In order to remove this doubt, he declares that the Lord will nevertheless stand by his promises, that though he choose the Gentiles, the covenant which he made with their fathers shall not fall to the ground, because the elect people shall enjoy the privileges of their rank. Nor does he in this passage, as in many others, speak of the rejection of that nation. But the prophet simply shows that the grace of God, which shall be diffused throughout the whole world, shall flow from that fountain."

"It was from Israel that the gospel went forth. It went forth from Jerusalem into the whole world. The first Christians were Israelites. The apostles were Israelites. The patriarchs are the root of the church. The church then is the Israel of God." Galatians 6:16, Paul says, "Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even the Israel of God."

This Israel of God is made up of both Gentile and Jewish believers. This Israel of God is worldwide wherever the church exists. Edward J. Young writes, "The reference is not to the historical entity Israel, for not all of the historical Israel repented. Indeed, there were those who belonged to the historical Israel who opposed our Lord and cried out for his death while he was here upon earth."

"The reference rather is to the Israel of God, the true believers in Israel whose company was increased and multitude by the addition of those from the Gentiles who turned from idols to serve the living and true God." Kail and Delitzsch write, "The reference is to the Israel of God out of all the human race. The church of the believers in Israel expanded by the addition of the Gentiles, which church is now righteous, reconciled and renewed by Jehovah and glories in him because by grace it is what it is."

John Calvin writes, "As to the greater number having been rejected by God, still this did not set aside God's covenant because the remnant of adoption were always the true and lawful Israel. And although they were few in number, yet they were the firstborn in the church. Besides, all those among the Gentiles who had been engrafted into that body began also, as we have formerly seen, to be accounted children of Abraham. One shall say, 'I belong to Jacob,' another shall subscribe with his band, 'I am a descendant of Israel.'"

"And on this ground, we are now reckoned the genuine Israel of God, though we are not the descendants of Israel. The prophet therefore added this, both that the Jews might not think that the Lord's covenant had failed and that they might not boast of their birth and despise the Gentiles." Calvin goes on to write, "All the seed of Israel. He extends this seed further, that they may not suppose that it ought to be limited to the family of Abraham, for the Lord gathers his people without distinction from among Jews and Gentiles. And here it speaks universally of the whole human race."

And then Calvin writes, "Shall be justified and shall glory. It ought to be observed that the prophet says that we are justified and glory in the Lord. For in none else ought we to seek righteousness or glory. He has joined to it glory which depends on righteousness and has added to it."

The church is the descendant of Israel. It is the spiritual Israel. Romans 11 talks of an olive tree. This olive tree is one. It has its roots in the patriarchs. Some of its branches had been broken off, but other branches had been grafted in. And more branches will be grafted in in the future. When Jesus came, many of the Jews would not accept him. Therefore, they were broken off. Yet the Gentiles did accept him, and they were grafted into the olive tree.

In the future, Israel as a nation of people will come to the Lord, and then they will be grafted back into the olive tree, the spiritual Israel, the church of God. In Hebrews 12:22 through 23 it says, "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven."

Mount Zion now refers to the church, the spiritual Israel. It is a worldwide church. It is also referred to as the heavenly Jerusalem. The gospel and God's kingdom are now centered not in an earthly Jerusalem, but in a heavenly Jerusalem. The Jerusalem above. It is this Jerusalem that all true believers are citizens of.

In Galatians 4:25 and 26 Paul says, "Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free and she is our mother." Today many evangelicals have their eyes on the earthly Jerusalem, awaiting the events on the prophecy clock.

Yet our eyes are in the wrong place. We should have our eyes on the Jerusalem above which is our mother. We should have our eyes on the church and seek its glory. In Isaiah 60:1 through 3 it says, "Arise, shine, for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you, and his glory appears over you."