PREPARE THE WAY Isa 62:1-12 READ I. Isa 62:1 For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. A. In this passage of scripture we find a two fold prophecy: 1. First: an end time prophetic word in regards to Zion / the nation of Israel: 2. Secondly: an end time prophetic word to Zion: the Born Again Church a. Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, B. The Lord is not just speaking about a natural city, but is also describing the Spiritual condition of the Born Again Church in the last days: 1. Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness goes a. The bible prophecies of a church / a born believer whose righteousness (right standing with God) is bright or shining with the glory of The Lord: 2. it also says that our salvation as a lamp that burns a. salvation burning / on fire for God b. Salvation burning: Def salvation: saving (eternal life) prosperity, health, Healing deliverance, victory & prosperity C. vs 2 further reveals that this manifestation of God s power will nor be limited to Israel, because it proclaims in vs 2 The Gentiles shall see. 1. It also says in Isa 60:3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, 2. In the midst of this our pouring of the Holy Spirit every curse / every negative Word spoken over your life will be broken, regardless of what people said about you, or spoke over your life: a. You will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name (1) God calls you Blessed / Eph 1:3 (2) God calls you His Beloved / Deut 33:12 (3) God calls you healed / 1 Pet 2:24 (4) God calls you delivered / 2 Cor 5:21 (5) God calls you prosperous / 3 Jn 2 (6) God calls you victorious / 1 Cor 15:57 (7) God calls you the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus / Col 1:13 (a) and the list goes on D. This passage of scripture is revealing the blessing of God that will come upon
us thru the Messiah / Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ: 1. vs 3 You will be a crown of glory in the hand of God, and a royal diadem (exceedingly beautiful Amp Trans) in the hand of God a. Thru the Blessing of Our Lord Jesus Christ God desires to give us beauty For ashes Isa 61:3 b. Thru the Blood of Jesus washing away our sin upon our repentance 1 Pet 5:4 Tells us that we will receive a crown of glory 2. and what Jesus desires to do for you and I does not stop there: a. vs 4 You shall no longer be termed forsaken (1) Heb 13:5 For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. b. Nor shall your land be any more termed Desolate (1) Def Desolate: laid waste (a) does you land / home / life / family / career / ministry seem desolate? (b) Jesus has come to reverse the curse & turn your situation around: (1) vs 4 But you shall be called Hephzibah Def: My (God s) delight (2) vs 4 and you land Beulah Def: (a) married: if Born Again you are the Bride of Christ (b) dominion: instead of the devil walking all of you.. Jesus said in Luke 10:19Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. dreamer: the Lord will enable you to dream again of God s purpose for Your life / vision destiny E. So that we never forget the Blessings of God that Jesus Christ has purchased For you and I thru His shed blood on Calvary s Cross vs 6 tells us: Isa 62:6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, 1. God has set Watchmen on the walls of the church: a. Watchman: the Prophets / as well as every other Five Fold Ministry Gift called To preach the Gospel. And every Born Again believer who is to Be a witness & ambassador of Jesus Christ: (1) they shall never hold their peace day or night (a) day and night preaching / prophesying / witnessing the Word of God (b) we are told to Make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent (1) from the pulpit to the streets (2) from our homes to schools & the work place (3) whether popular or unpopular
(4) be a watchman of the Lord / proclaim the Good news of Jesus Christ II. vs 10 Go through, Go through the gates! A. #1 Go through the gates 1. When Jesus descended to the gates of hell & took the keys of death & hell from The devil.. He then ascended toward the gates of heaven that have been Closed since the fall of Adam in the Garden a. a prophetic decree from God s word went forth that says: Ps 24:7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! (1) For each individual who repents of their sin & accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior gain access to go thru the gates of heaven & into the presence Of God (a) in prayer (b) offer our sacrifices of praise & worship (c) and some day literally go into the eternities of heaven itself 2. Secondly we are to go through the gates / strongholds of the powers of Darkness with the Gospel of Jesus Christ: a. Matt 16:18 and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (1) Jesus is speaking of the gates / spiritual strongholds of hell that hold People & nations in spiritual darkness (2) Thru the Victory of the Death ; Burial ; & Resurrection of Jesus Christ He Is now in possession of the keys of hell itself (1) Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (3) Matt 16:19 Jesus said: I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.. (a) These keys given to the Born Again Believer do not just include access To heaven & the throne of God (b) We also have been given the keys to hell & death thru the power of Binding & loosening the gates / stronghold & powers of darkness (1) Whatever we bind in loose in heaven & on earth (a) Go thru the gates //// strongholds in Jesus Name
B. #2 Next we are told to Prepare the way for the people. And to Build up, Build up the highway Take out the stones 1. Mal 3:1"Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, a. This is a prophetic scripture of the anointing resting upon John the Baptist (1) He had a PREPARATION ANOINTING (2) In order for the Messiah / Jesus Christ to suddenly come & manifest Himself in the Temple (a) John The Baptist had to Prepare The way as a watchman / a prophetic Voice (1) That would never hold his peace day or night (2) Refusing to keep silent b. Matt 3:3 For this is he (John The Baptist) who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'" (1) In the dispensation of the Church the focus is not The Lord Jesus suddenly coming into the Temple of Jerusalem (a) though that will take place as God ends the Church Age (2) The focus today is: As a Born Again Believer you are the Temple According to 1 Cor 6:19 (3) and if you desire for Jesus to suddenly come & manifest Himself in you / to you and in the life of others.. The Temple of the Holy Spirit.we are going to have to Prepare The Way 3. And we Prepare the way for people by: Isa 62:10 Build up the highway a. Isa 35:8 A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. (1) It is prophesying of the church returning to Holiness (2) It is prophesying of the believer walking in a fresh anointing of the Spirit of Holiness Rom 1:4 (a) Isa 62:12 declares that Jesus will have a Holy People: (1) And they shall call them The Holy People b. I am not speaking of legalism c. I am not speaking of a clothes line Gospel d. But I am talking about a people who have truly repented of their sin & no longer walk after the lust of the flesh & living in worldliness e. I am speaking about a Revival of Holiness where people who have been Born Again have had a life changing experience according to:
(1) 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 4. In Preparing the way for the people by building a spiritual highway Isa 6210 Tells us to: Take out the stones a. When an army conquered a people / city they would take stones and throw them into their fields & roads making them useable for planting & passage (1) this is exactly what the devil does when we live in sin. (a) making our heart hard like stone (b) making our life unusable for the glory of God destroying our means of provision & prosperity (d) thus building spiritual strongholds & releasing curses in the lives Of people b. Let me show you how to Take out the stones (1) Heb 12:1let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, (a) If we are willing to turn from our sin / lay aside every weight & the sin That so easily besets / ensnares us (1) The same power of God that rolled away the stone from the tomb of Our Risen Savior (2) Will take out the stones from your life (a) will take out the stones from your field (b) take out the stones from your home / family / ministry / career / etc. B. Next in Isa 62:10 it tells us to: Lift up a Banner for the peoples 1. Everyone we come in contact with / every nation we go into a. we are to holding up the Blood stained Banner of Jesus Christ 2. Def Banner: flag signal / standard a. Song 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love. (1) as people see God s love towards us (2) and the that same love flowing from us to them (a) they see & hear the signal of the call to salvation (1) Is you Banner flying for all to see?
III. Isa 62:11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed To the end of the world: "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.'" A. The Lord is proclaiming to the end of the world: 1. Surely your salvation is coming 2. Def Salvation: a. liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety, saving (eternal life) (1) Do you really believe that your salvation is coming? (2) Do you really believe that Jesus is coming? (3) Are you ready for His coming / Are you saved? Living Holy? (a) Are you living a life that prepares the way for Jesus to suddenly come To your temple / your life?