The Lord Will Come in Fire

The Gospel According to Isaiah: Discovering the Blessed Hope of the Evangelist-Prophet

Part Five: “The Lord Will Come in Fire”

1. Introduction: Living in Light of the Lord’s Return

For four weeks now, we have been walking together through the magnificent and imposing book of Isaiah. At times, it has been overwhelming; and even now, perhaps, there remains some uncertainty as to what we will do with this amazing message. There have been glimpses of the perfect person and work of Christ that are thrilling and comforting; but the sheer vastness of this inexhaustible gospel message, the tyranny of the impinging temporal matters that surround us, and the lingering uncertainty about how to fit such a big, amazing message into the practical affairs of our little, mundane lives may cause us to feel like throwing up our hands in despair. In some ways, that is how I feel; and I don’t think I am alone.

In almost every sermon, I have compared Isaiah to the Apostle Paul, especially in his epistle to the Romans. One of the reasons I have done this is that Romans is a little more familiar and accessible to us today. Paul uses the book of Isaiah to support almost every major point he makes in his letter, concluding with the thrilling observation that the partial stumbling of Israel was for the purpose of concluding the whole world in sin, so that God might have free mercy upon all through the gospel of Christ. This led to one of the most magnificent doxologies in scripture: Romans 11:33-36.

However, even after this thrilling climax to Romans, Paul was not yet done with his message. He still had five chapters to write. And those five concluding chapters are essentially application and exhortation. So big and precious a gospel message demands something. It must have an impact. It must mean something in our mundane lives – something that takes all the little monotonous moments that fit together in our lives and impresses them into something really big and specific and eternally-important. Well now, today, I will make my last comparison between Paul and Isaiah: before Paul wrote his letter, Isaiah had already laid out his prophecy in that same basic progression. After unfolding a brilliant gospel message, he finishes his work with a final portion that tells us just how we should live, in light of these eternal realities.

In the two chapters immediately following the explanation of the Lamb-work of Christ, Isaiah looks to a time in which the Church will spread until it embraces all the hitherto barren nations of the world (Is. 54:1ff), and foreshadows the gospel-call of the blessed Savior: “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37-39; cf. Is. 55:1ff). But then, after that freely-proclaimed gospel call, given on the basis of the fully-accomplished work of the suffering Servant, Isaiah has something further to say: “all this must affect how you live; because this Servant who suffered for the people is coming again, but this time, as a conquering Warrior”. At the beginning of the final section of the book, he sums it up: “Keep justice and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come” (Is. 56:1). The remaining chapters of the book explore just what that admonition means, right up to the concluding paragraphs, which will be our text for today.

2. Exhortations for an In-Between Time

When Isaiah finishes his prophecy, he has his sights set on eternity. His final vision describes in glowing color just what it will be like when the fully-accomplished lamb-work of Christ will have blossomed. It will mean nothing less than a new heavens and a new earth, with a New Jerusalem and a new people from every nation, and none of it will be marred anymore by sin. All will be redeemed and restored, all will be eternally perfect. This end is certain. But it is not here yet. So how do we as a people live, when behind us is the completed work of Christ, guaranteeing that before us is the paradise to come? We are an in-between people living an in-between life, and it can be confusing and daunting. As the apostle Paul would later say, after the finished work of Christ, we possess all things, but presently have nothing (2 Cor. 6:10).

Fear the Lord (66:15-16)

We may derive at least four exhortations from the truths Isaiah brings out at the conclusion of his book, which should inform the whole tenor of our lives as Christians living in an in-between time. The first and most fundamental of these is this: Fear the Lord!

The one thing we have seen over and over in Isaiah is that the Lord alone reigns. When one nation arises and another is destroyed, it is according to his plan and decree. When a disaster or calamity strikes a city, it is ultimately he who has done it. And as we saw last week, even when his own righteous and beloved Son suffered and died a shameful death among the transgressors, it was because the will of the Lord was to put him to grief. If we fear this almighty Lord, then it will affect how we look at all the circumstances of our lives, and how we respond to them. Do floods and calamities rise against us? They are in God’s hands, and he will care for us if we fear him. He will use our trials, even the worst of them, for our eternal good. We have seen the proof of that in the trials of Christ, used for our salvation. If he was pleased to crush his Son for our sakes, then he will also be pleased to use his chastising hand to crush any sin and self-reliance that linger in us. If he does not, then we are illegitimate, and not true children at all. But if we fear other powers and calamities more than we fear God, then when disaster strikes we will be confounded and driven about like waves of the sea; and when God’s patience comes to an end, he will smite us yet the more for our stubbornness, until he asks of us, too, “Why will you still be struck down?” (cf. Is. 1:5). Let us fear the One who does the striking, so that he will not have to strike us more!

This point, that we should fear God because he alone has all power to reign in every event of our lives, and uses them all for our good, even bruising us when our hearts begin to lose their fear of himself, is further underscored by this truth, that he is certainly coming again; and when he comes this time, it will be with the fire of wrath and judgment. His divine wrath is coming, and it will burn against all flesh. Many will be destroyed. Knowing that so fierce and holy a God is returning, should we fear those persons and things who in this life only can cause us misery? Or should we not rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in eternal fire? Let us be concerned more with fleeing to the only refuge from the anger of God, the only Ark that can save us from the floods of wrath; even Jesus the only Savior from divine judgment.

But if we should be weak-hearted and think, “How can so high and holy a God look upon me when I come to him trembling and afraid?”, then he comforts us with the reminder that “this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isa. 66:2). Therefore, having every reason to fear God, and every comfort that we will not be despised for our fear before his holy Word, let us approach him for grace in our time of need.

Despise Religious Hypocrisy (66:17)

The second exhortation we may glean from Isaiah’s conclusion is to despise religious hypocrisy. Now, in this passage, Isaiah is calling out the hypocrisy of the Jews in particular, who trusted that they were acceptable to God because they retained the outward form of religion; but inwardly, they were full of vile and disgusting things. Thus, when the Lord came, he stood steadfastly against every sin; but that which he railed against the most vehemently was religious hypocrisy. If we begin to think, “Why is my house destroyed when my neighbor, who is a drunken profligate, was unscathed by this flood?”, then we are perilously close to that spirit which vaunts self-righteousness and external moralism, and should learn to fear God all the more as he who utterly despises such an attitude. All of our best righteousnesses are as filthy rags to him who is wholly pure (Isa. 64:6); and it is only the perfect righteousness of his Son, imputed to our account, that pleases him. Whenever we see the wicked prospering and begin to grow envious, therefore, we should put the goads of the Law to our self-righteous hearts and remember what we deserve. Then we will be thankful for our eternal, unmerited riches, and learn patience when the trials here below are long and difficult, knowing that we deserve much worse.

Love People, not Things (66:18-21)

The third exhortation we may take away is that we should ultimately love God’s purpose and glory, and the success of Christ among the nations; and that means loving those people for whom he died, and who have become his glory and joy, in the divine purpose. Too often, we think that we are more spiritual if we love God immediately, and excuse ourselves from loving our neighbors because we would love God instead. Thus, many times in Church history, they who hid away from the world as hermits were seen as the greatest saints, or else they who boasted of some mystic, ecstatic experience. But God has left us on earth for a purpose, and he has made clear to us what that purpose is. And it involves loving others, and spreading his own love to them, so that the Lamb might enter the full reward of his sufferings. True love for God is practical, and involves visiting the sick and healing those who are in despair (Mat. 25:31-46). It involves spreading the gospel to the ends of the world (Mat. 24:14; Rev. 5). If we really love God, we will love for the Son of God to have the full reward of his suffering; and if we love him who begot us, we will also love all who were begotten by him (1 John 5:1). When the floods hit your homes, do you love and mourn for your things, most of all? Or do you love Christ and his purpose to save a people? If you love Christ, you will love those who love him, and give of yourself for them. You will love in practical ways; and also look for opportunities to proclaim the gospel of his glory, so that he might enter his full reward. But if your love is growing cold, then you will mourn over your lost things, and work feverishly to restore them, and not have your sorrow (and there will be sorrow!) tempered with the joy of gaining an opportunity to love Christ in deed and not just in word.

In all of these things, we must remember that we ourselves are God’s grain offering, gathered from the ends of the earth. Therefore, let us offer up our bodies as a living sacrifice (cf. Rom. 12:1ff), and go out into the whole world as God’s priests and Levites, brought in to become his new Israel, to gather up more grain for the King. When others look and see a terrible disaster and despair in the city, may God give us grace to see a field white unto harvest.

Think of Eternity Often (66:22-24)

The final exhortation we will draw out is this: think of eternity often! The old maxim, “he is so heavenly-minded he can be of no earthly good” is misleading. For in reality, he who is the most heavenly-minded will be of the most earthly use to our Lord. When you suffer the loss of all things, you may do so joyfully if you remember that you have an abiding treasure which cannot fade or be taken away from you. Is your treasure in heaven? Then keep your heart there, and do not be drawn aside by excessive sorrow and care over your loss here below. It is to be expected that this will be an unusually busy season for many of you; but ask yourselves a question: Does the tyranny of the many oppressing tasks that must be accomplished here below either keep you away from vital spiritual duties such as prayer, family worship, and church attendance? Or, does it rob you of your joy in those things, so that you cannot turn your heart fully to God in those times, but rush through them with half a mind always on getting back to other things? If so, then you are in danger of being drawn away from more important things because of your devotion to the less important. Because the foundation of your earthly house was shaken by the flood, will you leave your foundation on the solid Rock to repair it? Why lose the greater foundation because you have lost the lesser?

Remember often the eternal destinies that all humans have awaiting them. For those who through patient continuance in the faith and good works come into their inheritance of eternal life, there will be a New city which has immovable foundations. Every day will be a Sabbath of joy, every day will be a new moon festival, every day will be a joyful gathering of all flesh to worship God. But for those who rebelled against God, there will be only fearful and eternal torment. Their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched. Are you willing to risk that because, as Dives, you want your good things in this life? No! Do not let this trial trip you up! Work hard and faithfully to repair your homes; work sacrificially to help those in need; this is pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father; but do not leave your inheritance behind to squander all your substance on these temporal things, which can become prostitutes to eat up all your inheritance. Keep your heavenly riches of utmost importance in your hearts.

But this eternal perspective will not only free you joyfully to leave your work and your home when you need to help others, or lead your family in worship, or gather with God’s people, or simply rest as our bodies need to do; it will also motivate you to work heartily and diligently when it is an appropriate time to do so. The Thessalonians who used the Lord’s return as an excuse for becoming lazy busybodies were severely misinformed. On the contrary, because there is “no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in the grave,” you must do whatever your hand finds to do with all your might (Ecc 9:10). When we do all things to the glory of the Lord, then we can rejoice, knowing that our labor will not be in vain, but that there will be a reward (1 Cor. 15:58), and that our eternal, joyful rest is yet to come. If the thought of a temporal reward and season of rest motivates the busy farmer in the season of harvest, how much more ought the promise of a coming, eternal reward motivate us to cast off the sluggishness and immaturity with which we so often surround ourselves, to leave behind the inordinate time wasted on entertainment and frivolity, and to work hard at what God has given us to do, knowing that of the Lord we shall receive a recompense, when the Day of his glorious appearing soon dawns upon us?

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