A Message of Comfort

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!  The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

Isaiah 14:4-5

Nothing found in the Bible is there by accident.  Nothing is shared in a prophetic book by happenstance either. In the post, A Message to Embrace,  it was considered that the prophet Habakkuk had compared the appearance of the Antichrist, Satan's emissary, and Jesus Christ, the only Begotten of the Father filled with grace and truth.  His book started with a note of fear and confusion but ended with peace as the Prince of Peace returned triumphantly.  The book of Isaiah also holds a similar parallel.  In this book the King of Babylon is compared with the later appearance of the Suffering Savior of Mt. Calvary.  What a contrast, and what a message of comfort.

Isaiah points out that the devil longs to be like the Most High.  He builds high towers of human origin to great extent and gets vain men to worship him, but he never seems to understand that there is no one like the LORD Most High.  He is not original nor creative, so his best plans are only copies of what the LORD has already planned and purposed.  This oracle starts with the Babylonian King (remember, Mystery Babylon and its leader, the Antichrist, figures greatly into the end of days scenario) who is a shadow of the Antichrist.  As the message continues, we see the true source behind this world unification leader of power, politics, economy, and religion.  "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning (Isaiah 14:12a)!  His best attempt is but a Losing Venture.  To this, Isaiah adds a contrasting picture of the one who is the true conqueror.  What a beautiful picture.  

What a contrast!  The overall structure of the Book of Isaiah suggests that a comparison of the enemy of men's souls in Isaiah 14 and the Savior of men's souls, as pictured in Isaiah 52-53, was planned and directed by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.  The Antichrist will smite the nations (14:6) while the Lord was smitten for the nations (53:4).  Christ was seen as being oppressed and slain for the people (53:4-5 and 7-8) while the evil one will slay and oppress humanity (14:2, 4, 20).  The Beast from the earth will shake the earth in his blasphemous arrogance (14:16) while the Son from Heaven came in humility to draw the meek (53:2).  Wicked pride comes forth from the deceiver who will proclaim himself God's equal (14:13-14) while the equal of the Father, Christ the Son, came quietly to take our sin judgment on himself though undeserving of such penalty (53:7).  The wicked ruler who is first to come will be filled with evil glory while he is immediately feared by all (14:11 and 16), but Christ came the first time in such great humility that most ignored Him and despised Him as unimportant (53:2-3, 11).  

There is no future in being proud and arrogant and trying to exalt "self" above God.  The Antichrist will exalt himself as God's equal and seek to establish his throne as high as the heavens.  However, his end is not what he expected.  He is brought down to Hell as all who defy God will be!  He doesn't even get a dignified burial (14:18-20). Those kings who he will deceive him will taunt him and be amazed at his eventual weakness and sudden downfall (14:15-16).  Christ Jesus, on the other hand, will reign on the Throne after His death 2,000 years ago as He is the resurrected one who will come from Heaven(53:8-11). He will be temporarily buried with honor (53:9) but will reign in glory (53:10-12).  His reign will be eternal and of His kingdom there is no end!  The kings remaining alive on the earth at his coming will then see the difference between the glory of Christ and the folly of the Antichrist. They will shut their mouths in shame (52:14-15).  What a difference!

Now the question is, who will you bow to?  Will it be the proud and wicked one who claims deity for himself and acts as if he is a god?  Or will you follow the meek and humble savior who is GOD Almighty? The choice is yours, but make it quickly.  The Antichrist is waiting in the wings and will soon be going forth conquering and to conquer.  Jesus Christ is shortly to follow--He is Soon2Come!!

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:12