The Plan Revealed

     When reading the Book Isaiah, one would think that they are reading the New Testament. That is evidence that the Testament is one! There is but one Covenant but it is understood differently by the people of its time. God revealed to Isaiah and the other prophets his plan long in advance of its implementation. They saw what the apostles experienced long before it ever was, and he saw what John the Revelator saw long before apostolic times. Prophecy, and the accuracy of it, should be accepted by skeptical people as evidence that God is real. 

     It took superior intelligence to develop a plan for mankind and implement it to the tee. Jeremiah the prophet related the notion that God had a plan for each individual, as it is written, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end' (Jer 29:11).

     God has a plan for Israel. Jeremiah told us that, when he wrote the Words of God. The plan has some elements:

•  God's thoughts are Him planning.
• His plan is for "you' is for Israel and all mankind.
• The Lord Himself revealed the plan to us through scripture.
• His people (Israel and those who live and serve in their "tent;" Gen 9:27) will have peace. It might be asked, "Where is this place of peace? It was in Paradise in Heaven and forthwith, it will be in "Salem" which means peace. Salem, or the Garden Paradise, then a great city named New Jerusalem will come down to Jerusalem, "the foundation of Peace."
• Those who live not and serve not with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), God will think and evil will come upon them. Where is evil? The kingdom of Satan. Now he is Prince of the Power of the Air, which is the world, but in the end, Lucifer will rule over Hell alone.
• God will give us and expected end. Those who love, honor, and obey the Lord can expect to live in Paradise, and those who reject God's sacrifice of Himself, can expect Hell. As such, our fate is on our own hands as the sacrifice can either be accepted or rejected. All along, God planned that "none should perish" (John 3:16) and that is still His plan. To avoid perishing requires trusting God's plan!

     The New Testament provides more details on God's plan. His plan was sort of hidden in the Old Testament. Most were deluded into thinking that the plan was for Israel alone. Whenever anyone reads of God's plan for Israel, do not be mistaken; that plan is for everyone. That is the mystery of God of which Paul often wrote. The Abrahamic Covenant was for perpetuity, and was for Jews and Gentiles as well. Study it yourself; it does have one contingency - trusting God. The plan in that Covenant has two outcomes which are prosperity or tribulation. 

     Most of the Jews believed that the promised prosperity was the "LAND of milk and honey" which was the Kingdom of David. The patriarchs and the prophets knew that prosperity meant New Jerusalem when "Melchizedek" would return as Priest and King. Paul revealed the identity of Melchizdek; when you read of him, you are reading of Jesus: 

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Heb 7:1-3)

     Remembering that God has a plan for us, and peace is planned for those who trust him,  the reward will be the King of Peace, the Man who always was and always will be. Abraham saw Him as Melchizidek; Christians see Him as Jesus! Abraham fulfilled the Adamic Covenant, with his tithe and honor, was "dressing and keeping" (serving and heeding) the Centerpiece of the Garden that Adam was assigned to do! The Abrahamic Covenant was a clarification of the Adamic Covenant, and both are the Covenant of Grace! Now let's see what Isaiah knew of the "plan:"

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face... (Isa 65:2-3a). 

     God spreading out his hands to ALL the rebellious people is a picture of Jesus on the cross with arms outstretched. This verse is another way of saying, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Like it or not, Jesus died to save everyone, even those who provoke Him openly! That's important because ome think of themselves and others as too far gone for Jesus. That's not the case... those who are forgiven the most tend to love Jesus more!

I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isa 65:9) 

     Israel is important because Jacob is Israel. God's Inheritor (Jesus) came out of the seed of Israel, and Isaiah knew that well in advance, and expected the Savior to come! God's mountain, in that passage, is Golgotha, ironically "the place of Adam's skull" since Adam is surely buried beneath as the Adamic Covenant implied. Those who God makes worthy by their trust in Him, would inherit that "mountain" called Calvary. We know from Jesus himself, that the meek shall inherit the Earth" (Mat 5:5) as David knew and wrote in Psalm 37:11. Isaiah knew that as well because therein he wrote, "my servants," referring to God's, "shall dwell there." How could the meek inherit the Earth if God's plan had not been for Heaven to come down?

I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. (Isa 65:12) 

     Isaiah not only spoke of salvation but judgment. Those who do not belong to God will die. The cross of Jesus (the horizontal bar) represents Jesus's outstretched arms, him electing all, but few will come. Hence, it represents judgment as well, and everyone will chose the path they will take. The vertical member is the narrow way, and the strait gate is the Doctrine of Jesus, represented by Jesus on the cross.

     The two ways are the broad - the way of the unrepentant thief, and the right way is represented by the repentant thief. Isaiah knew that!

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (Isa 65:17-19)

     Therein, Isaiah saw what John saw in his revelation in Revelation 21:1-3. God's plan for His people was perpetuity on His Holy Mountain in Jerusalem. Moses knew that as well. The Abrahamic Covenant was the same as the Mosaic Covenant! The land of milk and honey was not Israel but the Realm of God with its capitol in New Jerusalem. The Tree of Life stood there in the midst of the Garden of Eden and that place is now called Calvary! The "Tree" was Jesus, who yet stands there, only in the midst of the Paradise of Heaven (Rev 2:7). Isaiah knew that Jesus is that Tree and knew Heaven would come down. That implies that Heaven ascended, just as Jesus did, and will descend, just as Jesus will!

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. (Isa 65:25).

     This passage describes the peace that will be in heavenly paradise which is the same as the peace which existed in the Garden as Adam had dominion over the animals. One might think that animals die and go to Heaven. Without souls, that cannot be. All living animals have or will die without a reward. I believe that the tame animals which were in the Garden of Eden ascended to heaven with the Garden. They did not sin; Adam did. Why would have God punished the innocent animals? They were immortal in the Garden and will thus be eternal in Paradise!

It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isa 66:18b).

     Isaiah, in that verse, foresaw Jesus's Ghost descending to what had been the Garden. In Acts chapter two, the Holy Ghost came down to the "foundation of peace" to bring peace on Earth! Isaiah saw representatives of all mankind, people of all tongues, seeing the "glory" of God. That "Glory" is the Holy Ghost, and they all understood in their own language, just as Isaiah prophesied!

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. (Isa 66:22)

     Where will Christians be after the old heavens and Earth are cleansed? Back home in the New Heaven on the New Earth, perfected for our habitation. Where will some spend eternity? In the Garden, now a great city called the City of God and known as New Jerusalem. Those of us who are meek enough to diminish ourselves and elevate God will indeed inherit the Earth!

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (Isa 66:24).

     The cross of Jesus is much like a directional post with two pointers. The Way to Heaven is up... some wait in the Earth for the rapture when the living and the dead ascend to the heavenly Paradise with Jesus to wait on a return home, as others take the wider path downward, and immediately go to their eternal home in Hell. 

     The cross is the path to either Heaven or Hell and its bar allows us to choose our own direction by free will. We will either dress and keep the Tree of the Garden or not!

     Those who choose the Way most traveled will be dead. Isaiah referred to those as "carcases." They are those with forever dying bodies and suffering souls. They will suffer an unquenched fire and isolation since in Hell they will be abhorred by all!

     The choice is yours. Choose wisely, my friends!