(Through the Bible) Isaiah 1-5 — Chuck Smith

Isaiah’s Historical Setting and Prophetic Calling

Let's get into the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah is a marvelous book of prophecy. Of course, it is the longest book of prophecy in the Bible. And it would seem that God gave to Isaiah a clearer vision of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ than any other of the Old Testament prophets.

He writes much concerning the Messiah that is to come. In the first verse it tells us the historical time of his prophecies, beginning when Uzziah was king of Judah, which puts it about 760 BC. And he lived through the succeeding reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and into Hezekiah's reign.

And there is some conjecture that he lived through Hezekiah's reign and to the reign of Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, who was an extremely wicked king. And there are some stories that Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, ordered Isaiah to be sawed in two.

And that in the New Testament, the 11th chapter of Hebrews, where it tells us about the Old Testament heroes, it's interesting, the New Testament in Hebrews calls them men of faith, but some of the modern evangelists today would tell you they lacked faith, because it tells you how they suffered.

And it's amazing that the men of greatest faith were marked by their suffering. And it tells how they were imprisoned, how they were stoned. And it does say how they were sawn asunder or sawed in two.

And there are those that believe that that is a reference to the fate of Isaiah under the King Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah. But Isaiah names these kings through Hezekiah as the kings under which he served.

In the Old Testament, if you go back to 2nd Chronicles, beginning with chapter 26 and on through to chapter 32, you will get the historic background for Isaiah's prophecies. Because in 2nd Chronicles, chapter 26 through 32, these kings, their reigns, are listed.

And for special credit for the course, you'll go back and read 2nd Chronicles 26 through 32 in order to best understand the prophecies of Isaiah as they fit in their historic setting. There is always a tremendous value in understanding the message of the prophet to read it in the contextual historic background, the things that were happening to the nation at the time that he was prophesying.

It would appear that the first five chapters of Isaiah are during the reign of Uzziah. Uzziah was a very popular king. In chapter 6, Isaiah records the death of Uzziah and the resultant effect that it had upon his own life.

So the first five chapters are probably written during the time of the reign of Uzziah, who was a very popular king, a very prosperous king over Judah. So, it is the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which is not the same as the prophet Amos, different Greek or Hebrew word, that he saw concerning Judah, Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, the kings of Judah.

Judah’s Rebellion and God’s Indictment

Now it's as though man isn't listening anymore. It's as though Israel isn't giving heed to the word of the prophet. So he calls unto the heavens and unto the earth to hear. Have you ever sat in a conversation and you're talking and you look up and no one's paying any attention to what you're saying?

You know, they're in conversation and you discover that you've just been talking and and no one's paying any attention. Quite often in a restaurant, you know, I'll be talking then I'll look up and no one's paying any attention to what I say.

So I pick up the vase of flowers in the middle and I say, now as I was saying, I really think that, you know. And it's like people aren't listening anymore. So he says, hear, O heavens! Give ear, O earth!

Man isn't listening to the word of God. So he's calling the heavens and the earth to bear witness to what the Lord hath spoken. And God gives here his indictment against the nation of Judah. Now it is interesting that as you read it in its historic context, Uzziah was a fairly good king.

It would seem that under his reign there was an outward revival among the people. They were going to temple. They were observing the Sabbath and under Uzziah's reign, they were also observing the feast days, the Passovers and all.

And though there was an outward form of religion, yet the Lord is calling out to the nation because underneath of it, God had this indictment against Judah at the time. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me.

So God's first indictment is that his own children have rebelled against him. It is interesting that God gives this figure of father and children to the nation of Judah at this time. Even as we still see the same figure as we are children of God.

But God said he has nourished these children, but they've rebelled against him. I've brought forth these children. I've nourished them and now they're rebelling against me. They've become worse than animals.

For the ox knows his owner and the ass his master's crib. But Israel does not know. My people doth not consider. In other words, at least an animal has enough innate sense. An ox, can we say a dumb ox, but an ox has enough sense to know his owner.

A donkey has enough sense to know his master's crib. A few years ago in Jerusalem, a crime was committed and the criminal in escaping left his donkey at the scene of the crime. And the detective who happened to know a little bit of scripture who was examining the case came and said, well just turn the donkey loose.

And he followed him and led him to his master's crib and the man was apprehended. Donkey has enough sense to know his master's crib. But God said, but Israel doesn't know. My people do not consider. They have not taken God into consideration that God has been providing for them.

They don't know me God is complaining. As I said this morning, how long would you keep a dog if it would attack you viciously every time you went in your backyard? He didn't know his owner. He didn't know who was buying the dog food.

You'd have to throw his food out the window. Where every time you go out in the backyard, he'd come attacking you viciously, biting at you. But yet if strangers or a burglar would come into the yard, he'd go up wagging his tail and greeting him.

How long do you think you'd keep a dog like that? Well, I'd say I'd get rid of a dog like that in a hurry. Think how patient God has been with some of you. Think of how long-suffering God is. Even an animal has enough sense to know his owner, to know his master's crib, to know where his provisions are coming from.

But God says, my people haven't considered. Israel doesn't know me. The third indictment that God has against them is that they've become a sinful nation, a people who are loaded down with iniquity. They are a seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors.

They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, and they have gone away backwards, or they have backslidden. They've gone away backwards from God. They're not going forward toward God, going backward from God.

What a heavy indictment God lays upon them here. And then God questions, why should you be stricken anymore? Now, they had already been suffering. The condition of the nation was vastly deteriorating, weakening.

Their enemies had been coming in. They had lost a vast amount of their treasure. They had lost a vast amount of their cities. They were in a period of decline, and God said, why should you receive any more strifes?

Why should you be stricken anymore? Why is it that you revolt still, or more and more, for the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint, and from the sole of the foot to the top of the head there is no soundness in it, but there are wounds and bruises and putrefying sores.

They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Here's the nation, battered, bruised, bleeding, because they have turned their backs on God. And God has allowed the judgment, the chastisement to come to His children, but still they're not learning the lesson.

Still they're not turning to God. Why should you be stricken still? Why should it have to go on? And the whole idea is turn to God. Now, I've always said that, you know, you can make it easy on yourself, or make it hard on yourself.

And some people just make it hard on themselves. In a few chapters we are going to read, woe unto those who strive with their Maker. Whenever you strive with God, you're making it hard on yourself. You're going to hurt.

You're going to come out the loser. Why should you be stricken anymore, God said, covered with bruises? Now God turns, and He speaks of the desolation of the land. Deals, first of all, with the people.

As a result of their sin, the land has been ravaged. Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Now, this is equivalent to the wounds and the bruises and putrefying sores. He's just talking about how the nation has been ravaged.

Your land, the strangers devoured in your presence. It is desolate. It's overthrown by strangers. The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in the garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city, become isolated and just alone, like a city that's under siege.

Except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom and we would have been likened to Gomorrah. Unless God had spared the small remnant that was left, they would have been totally wiped out, as was Sodom and Gomorrah.

They would have been devastated. Here's the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. Give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. So, God here is, he brings up the reference of Sodom and Gomorrah, the destruction by God's judgment, and now he speaks of Jerusalem as a present Sodom and Gomorrah, as we in a figurative sense would speak of San Francisco, as a modern Sodom.

And Gomorrah, where the same openness of the same sin, the prating and the flounting of that sin that brought the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is being flounted in San Francisco. So, God then makes the talks about Jerusalem as being Sodom and Gomorrah.

Empty Religion and the Need for Repentance

In Revelation, John picks up the same figure and uses which is spiritually Sodom, he said, concerning Jerusalem, where the bodies of the prophets are slain. To what purpose, God said, is the multitude of your sacrifice?

Now he gets into the religious aspects of their life. And getting into the religious aspects, God shows that the outward form of religion is without value. God isn't interested in religious forms. God is interested in your heart.

The attitude of your heart is far more important to God than the actions. There are many people who are going through the right actions, but have the wrong attitudes. And that's a sad condition. God is interested in the attitude of your heart.

Of course, this is certainly manifested in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus speaks of the importance of attitude. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord? I'm full of burnt offerings of rams, the fat of fed beasts.

I delight not in the blood of bullocks or in lambs or of he-goats. When you have come to appear before me, who's required this at your hand to tread in my course? I didn't ask you to come, God says. Who invited you into my courts?

They were coming. They were still going through the religious exercises. They were still observing the Sabbaths and the new moons and the feast days. But God said, hey, I'm full up with your sacrifice.

That's not what I want. David said, sacrifice an offering thou wouldst not, else I would give it. But a contrite heart, O Lord, that you will not turn away. This after his sin with Bathsheba and his and his 51st Psalm prayer of forgiveness.

Sacrifices and offerings, Lord, you're not really interested in. But the contrite, broken and contrite heart, Lord, you're not going to turn away. God is interested in the broken and contrite heart much more than you're bringing some sacrifice to him.

We look at the evil of the church and the church history that gave the impression to man that he could buy the forgiveness of his sins. And it's all right, just as long as you make a healthy contribution.

You know, we'll pat you on the back and say, fine fellow. Sit down here in the front row, you know. You got your name with a gold star on the or on the window, a crystal. You got your name over here, you know.

You've donated, you're in good standing. It's been the curse of the church to make men feel comfortable thinking that because of their contributions at all that they're well accepted and God has an open door policy.

Now, God's interested in the heart. God said, hey, I've had it up to here with sacrifice. I didn't ask you to come in. Who invited you into my courts? Who required you to come along? Don't bring me any more these vain oblations.

Your incense is an abomination unto me and the new moons and the Sabbaths and the calling of the assemblies. I cannot away with it. It's iniquity, even in your solemn meetings, even in your sacred services, they're just filled with iniquity.

Your new moons and your appointed feast, my soul hates. They are a trouble. I'm weary to bear them. Oh, how God is just so sick of the religious forms if your heart isn't in it. And when you spread forth your hands.

Now, of course, this is in their prayer. As they would come to the time in the solemn assembly to pray, they would spread forth their hands to heaven. And God said, when you stretch forth your hands, that is in prayer.

I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear for your hands are full of blood. The president of the Southern Baptist Association got into a lot of trouble recently for a careless statement that he made concerning whose prayers God hears.

But here God himself declares that there are certain prayers that he's not going to listen to. People who are spreading forth their hands towards God. But God said, hey, I'm not going to hear. Why? Because your hands are full of blood.

God does answer prayer. That's the basic thrust of prayer. That's why we continue to pray. And that's our encouragement for prayer. But it is true that there are prayers that God doesn't hear. David said, have I regard iniquity in my heart that the Lord does not hear me when I pray.

In the 1650 ninth chapter of Isaiah, it says God's hand is not short that he cannot say neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear. But your sins have separated between you and God. Here God is saying when you stretch forth your hands, that is to pray and you offer your prayers.

I'm not going to hear them for your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean. Put away the evil doings from before my eyes and cease doing evil. Learn to do well. Seek judgment. Relieve the oppressed.

Judge the fatherless and plead for the widow. So the things that God was really concerned about is that they would really seek an honest judgment. That they would relieve the oppressed people. That they would give a true judgment to the fatherless and to the widow.

And after this indictment against them for their sins, declaring the desolation that has come to their nation as the result of it, and of God's total abhorrence to their formal religious exercises without any heart behind it, He calls for them really to repent.

To cease doing their evil. Learn to do well. Learn to do the things that God wants. It is interesting that God didn't want the sacrifices. God didn't want the offerings or whatever that were being brought to Him.

He wanted them to start living right. To deliver the oppressed. And so God said come now. Let us reason together, saith the Lord. God never challenges the person to take a leap of blind faith. The concept and idea of blind faith has been invented by those outside the church.

It is not a scriptural term, nor is it something God has challenged any man to do. It is something that man is being challenged to do by the existential philosophers today. For the philosophy of existentialism has concluded that truth, good, evil do not exist on a universal base.

That they only exist in the experience of an individual. And because we are all different, we must all then experience for ourselves what is good. And that if you live in reality, real honesty or reality is hopeless and despairing.

And their net result of their search for truth has led them to hopelessness and despair. It doesn't exist. It is only relative as it relates to you. Therefore, because we as human beings cannot exist in hopelessness and despair, we must take our leap of faith, blind faith, hoping that we might find something to sustain us when we land.

No guarantees. But you've got to experience. You've got to take your leap of faith. And they start talking about the ultimate experience. The search for that ultimate experience. Take your leap of faith.

Maybe you can discover it. One of the professors in Germany had so many students commit suicide that were taking his course. Started interjecting into his lessons, we don't know that suicide is the ultimate experience.

Now it may be, but we're not sure of that. Of course, Huxley thought that the ultimate experience would be to die on a wild LSD trip. So as he was dying, he took a large dose of LSD. He thought that was the ultimate experience.

It probably was. Hopelessness and despair, but you can't live in that. So you've got to take a leap of faith. Into a non-reasoned religious experience. Now that is why the Eastern religions, the mystics, the cultists, and so forth, are occultists, are so popular today.

That's why some little guru with a high whiny voice can say, ah, flowers are lovely, and all this, you know, and and everybody starts contemplating their navels and start chanting their. Because somehow, as they get into this transcendental meditation, they get into an altered conscious state that they cannot explain, but they have a sense of well-being and a sense of peace and tranquility.

Can't give you any reason for it. It's just that I feel in oneness with the great creative force of the universe or something, you know. And that's why you see these kids with their shaved heads and finger symbols and their white robes, and they're dancing and chanting because they are discovering some kind of a feeling that they cannot explain.

It's a non-reasoned religious experience, a state of altered consciousness. And that's what philosophy says we must experience. You've got to experience it for yourself. And thus you might discover what to you is relevant or meaningful or true.

But God doesn't say take a leap of blind faith. God says, hey, come, let's reason together. God wants you to be reasonable. Let us reason together, saith the Lord. Not a non-reasoned religious experience.

God will give you a reason and a base for your peace. God gives you a reason why you're upset. A reason why there is the inner turmoil. A reason why there is that emptiness within. And God will give you a reason for believing and trusting.

Prophecy as Evidence for Faith

One of the areas where we have strong evidence that God wrote the book and that God knew what he was talking about is in the area of prophecy. God challenged the false gods in Isaiah 41 to bring forth their strong reasons by telling us something before it happens.

So that after it happens, we really know you're a God. Show us a sign, a miracle, a wonder in heaven or on the earth that we might wonder at it and know that you are God. Prove yourself. Give some evidence.

Don't demand that we blindly follow you. Give some evidence that you might know he said that I am God. I'm going to tell you things before they ever transpire. Jesus said to his disciples, now I've told you these things before they come to pass so that when they come to pass you might believe.

It's to give you a basis for your faith. Not blind faith. To give you a reason to believe. So I tell you in advance the things that are going to take place so that after these things take place you will believe.

A reason for it. Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord. And then God makes a challenging offer to these rebellious children who have sunk lower than the animals, who are covered with bruises, whose hands are filled with blood.

He said though your sins be as scarlet. The word scarlet has as a background double-dyed, soaked in the dye so long, dried and soaked again until the dye has permeated the very fibers of the fabric and it is impossible to remove.

And some people are so steeped in sin that it has penetrated the very fibers of their being and sin has become second nature to them. You by nature are a sinner, but when it becomes second nature, you're in big trouble.

I mean, that's a rank sinner. Second nature. You do it without thinking. It's just second nature to you. But even though your sins be double-dyed, even though your sins have permeated the very fiber of your being, though they be as scarlet, they may be as white as snow.

Though they be red as crimson, they may be as wool. Again, very white. What a marvelous offer by God to sinning man. And this, of course, is the offer of grace. You can't do it yourself. You can't bring it about by sacrifice.

By offerings. God's sick of those. You can only do it by receiving the grace of God. Come now, let us reason together. Though you are in this terrible, hopeless state, I'll wash you. I'll cleanse you.

I'll make you over again. If you be willing, that's the key. If you are willing. It has to be your choice. God is not going to force his will upon any man. For God has created you with the capacity of choice, and that would be totally meaningless unless he respected the choices that you made.

So if you are willing and obedient, God said you can eat of the good of the land. The land that is wasted and desolate and taken over by your end. You can eat of it again, the good of it again. But if you refuse and you rebel, then you will be devoured with the sword.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. That's it. You got your choice. Come, let's reason together. If you're willing, if you'll be obedient, you can have the best. If you continue to rebel, you're going to get cut off.

Now, hey, with those kind of terms, it would be reasonable to accept God's offer of grace and forgiveness. That would be the only reasonable thing under those terms. It would be very unreasonable to continue in your rebellion at that rate, to be cut off.

Jerusalem’s Corruption and Future Restoration

And so God speaks of Jerusalem. How is the faithful city become as a harlot? Speaking, of course, in spiritual terms. The city that God had chosen, the city that God had selected from all of the cities of the earth to place his name there, that the people might come to it to worship him.

And yet they had established within the city the various groves and high places and the worship of the false gods of Mammon and Molech and Baal. It is interesting, some recent archaeological excavations that have been done above the springs of Gihon, going up from the Pool of Siloam in the spring of Gihon just above the two and heading on up towards the Temple Mount.

Recent archaeological excavations have uncovered the ruins of the ancient city of Jerusalem, some of the houses that were there in Isaiah's day and on up to the fall of Jerusalem. They have found the ruins of the houses that were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar when he did come in and level the city.

And there are marvelous, interesting artifacts that they have discovered in these houses that were torn down and broken down by Nebuchadnezzar's army. And within the houses they have found multitudes of little idols to the various gods, the pagan gods, confirming what the prophets were saying to the nation of Judah as they were warning of the impending destruction.

Even as Isaiah said here, the faithful city has become a harlot because they've turned from the love of God, the true God, the living God. And as Jeremiah said, you have forsaken the fountain of living waters and you've hewn out cisterns that can't hold water.

And so they're turning to these idols and to these other gods. They've turned, as God would say spiritually, unto harlotry. They've become a harlot. The city is full of judgment, righteousness once lodged in it, but now murderers.

Thy silver has become dross. Thy wine is mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Bribery was rampant. Everyone loves gifts and they follow after rewards and thus their judgment is perverted.

They do not really judge the fatherless. Neither does the cause of the widow come to them because they are receiving bribes. A total breakdown of the judicial system. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of my enemies.

And what a tragic thing when the people of God have become his enemy. I will turn my hand upon thee. I will purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin. I will restore thy judges as at the first and thy counselors as at the beginning and afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Now, of course, we got to about as dark as you can get. God had painted a black, black background for the nation of Judah, the city of Jerusalem. Get your blackest paint paint the background using nothing but black slate black and now God takes and in this black background, he begins to bring a shaft of light, a shaft of hope for the future.

For God is going to cleanse their dross and he will restore their judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning and afterwards, after the restoration, thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Now she's a harlot. She's turned from God, but she shall become once again faithful unto her husband. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness and the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed for they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired and ye shall be confounded for the gardens which ye have chosen.

The oaks and the gardens were a couple of the different cultish religions that they had embraced there in Jerusalem. They are referred to by other prophets also, worshiping under the trees and planting these gardens and using them for a form of worship of other gods.

The strong shall be as a toe and the maker of it as a spark and they shall both burn together and none shall quench them. So God will wipe out the iniquity. He'll destroy those who are guilty of iniquity and the strong will be as a toe, which is sort of a the Hebrew word is to be cast off as a flax, the residue that is cast off actually.

So it is a broken rope or a strand that is broken and the maker as a spark and burning it, destroying it. Now chapter 2 is introduced again the word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

And now God takes him out to the future and it shall come to pass in the last days or in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow into it.

So Isaiah goes from the dark bleak history and now he jumps forward to a day yet future when Jesus Christ the Messiah comes and establishes the kingdom and the Jews as the scripture said will look upon him whom they have pierced and they will recognize him and they will weep over him.

Weep over their national blindness and their failure to recognize that he was their Messiah and he will establish his kingdom there on the top of the mountains in Jerusalem. Traditionally it is felt that the top of Mount Zion will be the place of the throne of Jesus Christ in the kingdom age and this is going ahead now to the kingdom age.

All nations shall flow unto it and many people shall go and say come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he shall teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths.

For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. So the Bible tells us in other passages that the kings of the earth will come to Jerusalem to offer their gifts unto the Lord and to just have celebrations there.

The Coming Kingdom and the End of War

Now who are the kings of the earth that are referred to here? Well, you're looking at King Charles. In Revelation chapter 1 as he speaks of Jesus Christ, he said unto him who loved us and gave himself for us and hath made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign with him on the earth.

To the church he said he that overcometh will I grant that he shall sit with me on the throne of my kingdom even as I have sat down at the throne of my father's kingdom and they shall rule over the earth with a rod of iron.

And then in Revelation chapter 5 as the Lamb takes the scroll out of the right hand of him who is sitting upon the throne. When the prayers of the Saints are offered before the throne of God the golden vials full of orders which are the prayers of the Saints they sang a new song saying worthy is the Lamb to take the scroll and loose the seals for he was slain and he has redeemed us by his blood out of all of the nations tribes tongues and people and hath made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign with him upon the earth.

So actually it's talking about you when it says come let's go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and We will walk in his best want to be exciting to go to Jerusalem.

Just sit down and let Jesus teach us for a while. No, that sounds so exciting to me. That's just thrilling to me the concept and the whole idea and and all to realize that we'll be having annual trips to Jerusalem just to sit there and To listen to the Lord expound the love and the grace and the goodness of God Unto us the law of the Lord He will teach us of his ways for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and he shall judge among the nations and Shall rebuke many people and shall beat this they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.

Neither. Shall they learn war anymore? Oh house of Jacob. Come let us walk in the light of the Lord looking forward to that glorious day when Jesus is reigning and The military budgets are used for agricultural development.

Beating their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Last year over 1 trillion dollars were spent throughout the world forging swords and spears weapons of war. Military budgets of the world totaled over a trillion dollars last year and This year We're expanding our military budget.

There are many Who are warning that war is imminent. I Have a personal friend who is a high-ranking officer Who has kept in touch with me he's back In the Pentagon right now going through briefings and he said Chuck We've never been closer to war before.

He said we're on the verge and he said everybody is scared but a day is coming When no one is gonna have to fear war anymore. Not gonna have to fear mass destruction, you're not gonna have to fear the exotic poison gases Neutron hydrogen bombs, they'll study war no more.

The war colleges will all be closed and the Lord will reign. Therefore now goddess this is the blessing that's going to come but before the blessing can come there's going to be some rough times. Therefore thou has forsaken thy people the house of Jacob because they be replenished from the east and Soothsayers are like the Philistines and they pleased themselves in the children of strangers.

Their land also is full of silver and gold neither. Is there in the end of their treasures? Their land also is full of horses neither in the end of their chariots. Their land also is full of idols and they worship the work of their own hands That which their own fingers have made so the idea of man worshiping and serving the creature more than the Creator is brought up here men worshiping the works of their own hands more than the Creator.

What an apt description of humanism and really The materialism of the present day where man has placed his value Upon the material objects the work of his own hands Rather than upon the Lord God speaks at this time.

And the mean man bows down and the great man humbles himself therefore forgive them not enter into the rock Hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be Exalted in that day for the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everyone that is proud and lofty and everyone that is Lifted up and he shall be brought low.

Now This could very well be referring to the time After the exodus of the church. For when the church makes its exodus out of the world. It's going to be a time of great world prosperity. For a time at the beginning of the reign of the man of sin People are going to be singing happy days are here again because this man is going to come in with a program of peace and of economic prosperity and They will move in to take the wealth of the church That has departed.