Jerusalem Series -

Session #5 Jerusalem: The Capital City of the New Earth (Isa. 65-66)

I. JERUSALEM'S SIGNIFICANCE

A. Jesus is zealous for Zion  (Jerusalem)

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you…” (Ps. 122:6)

2“I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.” 3Thus says the LORD, “I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.”   (Zech. 8:2-3)

17At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem.   (Jer. 3:17)

B. Jesus spoke of His “throne of glory” in millennial Jerusalem as where He will judge all nations.

31When the Son of Man comes in His glory [to Jerusalem]...then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him... (Mt. 25:31-32)

C. The Lord will reign forever on Zion during the Millennium and on the new earth.

29  The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever. (Ps. 37:29)

But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loved.
69  And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever. (Ps. 78:68-69)

5  You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever, (Ps. 104:5)

10  And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11  Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,” (Ps. 105:10-11)

1Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever. (Ps. 125:1-2)

12  Then Solomon spoke: “The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
13  I have surely built You an exalted house,
And a place for You to dwell in forever.” (1 Kgs. 8:12-13)

1And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he wanted to do, 2  that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3  And the Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (1 Kgs. 9:1-3)

7  He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; (2 Kgs. 21:7)

2  Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” (1 Chr. 15:2)

25  For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”; (1 Chr. 23:25)

8  Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord , and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
(1 Chr. 28:8)

16  For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (2 Chr. 7:16)

7  Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? (2 Chr. 20:7)

8  Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord ; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. (2 Chr. 30:8)

4  He also built altars in the house of the Lord , of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.”

7  He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; (2 Chr. 33:4, 7)

Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21  Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified. (Isa. 60:20-21)

25  Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. (Ezek. 37:25)

10The LORD shall reign forever--Your God, O Zion, to all generations.   (Ps. 146:10)

F. The Lord will judge those who ignore Him and engage in idolatry

“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,'
To a nation that was not called by My name.
2  I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts;
3  A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
Who sacrifice in gardens,
And burn incense on altars of brick;
4  Who sit among the graves,
And spend the night in the tombs;
Who eat swine's flesh,
And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5  Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!'
These are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.

6  “Behold, it is written before Me:
I will not keep silence, but will repay—
Even repay into their bosom—
7  Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,”
Says the Lord ,
“Who have burned incense on the mountains
And blasphemed Me on the hills;
Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”
(Isa. 65:1-7)

The Lord will greatly bless His servants but He will judge those who forsake Him

8  Thus says the Lord : “As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,'
So will I do for My servants' sake,
That I may not destroy them all.
9  I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
My elect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
10  Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,
And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
For My people who have sought Me.

11  “But you are those who forsake the Lord ,
Who forget My holy mountain,
Who prepare a table for Gad,
And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.
12  Therefore I will number you for the sword,
And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
Because, when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not hear,
But did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.”

13  Therefore thus says the Lord God :

“Behold, My servants shall eat,
But you shall be hungry;
Behold, My servants shall drink,
But you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
But you shall be ashamed;
14  Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
And wail for grief of spirit.
15  You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen;
For the Lord God will slay you,
And call His servants by another name;
16  So that he who blesses himself in the earth
Shall bless himself in the God of truth;
And he who swears in the earth
Shall swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My eyes. (Isa. 65:8-16)

The Lord is determined to create a new heaven and earth

17  “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18  But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19  I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.

20  “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
21  They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22  They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23  They shall not labor in vain,
Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord ,
And their offspring with them.

24  “It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent's food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord . (Isa. 65:17-25)

The Lord will honor the humble, but judge all pagan practices

Thus says the Lord :

“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2  For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord .
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

3  “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog's neck;
He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine's blood;
He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol.
Just as they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,
4  So will I choose their delusions,
And bring their fears on them;
Because, when I called, no one answered,
When I spoke they did not hear;
But they did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.” (Isa. 66:1-4)

The Lord will supernaturally enable Zion to give birth to many children

5  Hear the word of the Lord ,
You who tremble at His word:
“Your brethren who hated you,
Who cast you out for My name's sake, said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
That we may see your joy.'
But they shall be ashamed.”

6  The sound of noise from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord ,
Who fully repays His enemies!

7  “Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
8  Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.
9  Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord .
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? ” says your God.
10  “Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
11  That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”

12  For thus says the Lord :

“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.
Then you shall feed;
On her sides shall you be carried,
And be dandled on her knees.
13  As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

14  When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
And your bones shall flourish like grass;
The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants,
And His indignation to His enemies. (Isa. 66:5-14)

The Lord will bring people from all nations into His kingdom

15  For behold, the Lord will come with fire
And with His chariots, like a whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16  For by fire and by His sword
The Lord will judge all flesh;
And the slain of the Lord shall be many.

17  “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves,
To go to the gardens
After an idol in the midst,
Eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse,
Shall be consumed together,” says the Lord .

18  “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19  I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20  Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord , “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord . 21  And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord .

22  “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord , “So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23  And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord .

24  “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (Isa. 66:15-24)

II. ISAIAH 65: GOD'S RESPONSE TO ISRAEL'S LAMENT IN ISAIAH 63-64

A. Paul explained this as referring to Gentiles.

20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:

“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” (Rom. 10:20)

1I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those [Gentiles] who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation [ Gentiles] that was not called by My name. 2I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people [Israel]… (Isa. 65:1-2)

B. The Lord is so committed to His people and His glorious plans for them

9Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.  
(1 Cor. 2:9)

C. The new heavens and earth occurs in two stages—first, in the Millennium

4  And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for [ a ] a thousand years. 5  But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6  Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4-6)

And then in the eternal state

13  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Pet. 3:13)

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. (Rev. 21:1)

D. Jerusalem surrounded by the nations occurred in 70 AD and then again in the tribulation

24  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Lk. 21:24)

1Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2  For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
(Zech. 14:1-3)

The Gog and Magog battle occurs before Jesus returns
(Ezek. 38-39)

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2  “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3  and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4  I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5  Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6  Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.
(Ezek. 38:1-6)

Again at the end of the Millennium

7  Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8  and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. (Rev. 20:7-8)

Fire will fall on the earth during the tribulation

8  Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9  And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Rev. 8:8-9)

And again after the Millennium

10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Pet. 3:10)

The little horn came forth in Antiochus Epiphanes (175-163 BC) and then again in the Antichrist

7  “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

20  and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings. (Dan. 7:7, 20, 24)

The descent of the New Jerusalem will occur when Jesus returns

10  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the [ h ] great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Rev. 21:10)

And then again after the Millennium

2  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev. 21:2)

E. God's people are to rejoice in what God does in Jerusalem.

18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (Isa. 65:18)

God has great pleasure in Jerusalem and His people.

19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (Isa. 65:19)

He rejoices for the good of His people

9  The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, (Deut. 30:9)

17  The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph. 3:17)

There will be no more tears

17  for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17)

4  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)

8  He will swallow up death forever,
And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces;
The rebuke of His people
He will take away from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken. (Isa. 25:8)

19  For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you. (Isa. 30:19)

2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord ,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3  To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord , that He may be glorified.” (Isa. 61:2-3)

19  I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying. (Isa. 65:19)

F. 20No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. 21They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people…25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox…   (Isa. 65:20-25)

G. There will be no hostility in the relationship between wild and domesticated animals and people.

6The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion…and a little child shall lead them…8The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole…9The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD…  (Isa. 11:6-9)

H. Jerusalem will be like the garden of Eden

1The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
2  It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord ,
The excellency of our God.

3  Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
4  Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you.”

5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6  Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
7  The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

8  A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray. (Isa. 35:1-8)

3The Lord will comfort Zion   [Jerusalem] … will make her wilderness like Eden… (Isa. 51:3)

29  I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. (Ezek. 34:29)

35  So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.' (Ezek. 36:35)

6  He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this? ” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.

7  When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8  Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9  And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.

10  It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11  But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12  Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” (Ezek. 47:6-12)

III. ISAIAH 66: THE LORD WILL FULLY RESTORE JERUSALEM

A. God's answer is that His heavenly throne on earth is central to His purpose

3  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (Rev. 21:3)

Therefore, it is sure to come to pass, but only the humble will enter into it.

1Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2For all those things My hand has made…On this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.
  (Isa. 66:1-2)

B. 5A dwelling place for the Mighty One…8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place. (Ps. 132:5, 8)

4The glory of the LORD came into the temple  [millennial temple]... 6I heard Him [Jesus] speak to me from the temple…7He said, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell  [live]  in the midst of…Israel forever.”
  (Ezek. 43:4-7)

13The place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious. (Isa. 60:13)

D. The Lord assures the godly that He sees those persecuting them.

5Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word: "Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My name's sake, said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they shall be ashamed!   (Isa. 66:5)

The humble were waiting for the coming of the kingdom as set forth in Isaiah

17  “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18  But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19  I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.

20  “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
21  They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22  They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23  They shall not labor in vain,
Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord ,
And their offspring with them.

24  “It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent's food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord . (Isa. 65:17-25)

E. 7Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. 8Who has heard such a thing?...Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her  [end-time]  children. 9Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?  (Isa. 66:7-9)

F. The Great Tribulation is described by the prophets as birth pains coming on Zion.

6  Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
7  Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob's trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it. (Jer. 30:6-7)

3  Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel. (Mic. 5:3)

8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Mt. 24:8 NKJV)

8  All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Mt. 24:8 NIV)

G. God promises to bless the godly by comforting and restoring Jerusalem.

10Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11that you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom…and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. (Isa. 66:10-11)

H. The Lord will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to see His manifest glory

18I will gather all nations [ Gentiles]  and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19I will set a sign among them  [Gentiles];  and those among them who escape [survived the tribulation] I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud…to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20Then they  [Gentiles]  shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses…on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD" …22For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain.   (Isa. 66:18-22)

All those who survive the tribulation will worship Jesus in the New Jerusalem.

16  Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17  If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18  If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19  This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.

20  On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord 's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21  Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty. (Zech. 14:16-21)

The godly will see the corpses of the ungodly who will be killed by God's judgment.

23“From one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD. 24And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched…   (Isa. 66:23-24)

DOWNLOAD

Jerusalem Series

Download the entire Jerusalem Series

Download Part 1 Jerusalem her glory, significance and struggle

View Part 1 Jerusalem her glory, significance and struggle online

Download Part 2 Jerusalem God’s manifest glory resting on a city

View Part 2 Jerusalem God’s manifest glory resting on a city online

Download Part 3 Jesus zeal and commitment to Jerusalem

View Part 3 Jesus zeal and commitment to Jerusalem online

Download Part 4 Jesus the Warrior King

View Part 4 Jesus the Warrior King online

Download Part 5 Jerusalem the capital city of the New Earth

View Part 5 Jerusalem the capital city of the New Earth online

DOWNLOAD Part 5 Bible Verse Handbook