Confused Worlds of Futurism #4 Zion You Are My People Isa 51:16

Hello, I'm William Bell. Welcome to All Things Fulfilled, and this is our YouTube channel where we discuss the subject of eschatology and related themes regarding the end times. Today, I'm going to continue on a series of subjects that we have been talking about that are supplementary to our 2 Peter 3 series on confused worlds of futurism. And primarily, what we've been discussing has been the 100-second Psalm, verse 18, where the scriptures say this is written for a generation to come and that it was for a people that were yet to be created. Now, on yesterday, we expanded a little bit on that and we talked about what that was involved in terms of the new creation that is found in the New Testament. We didn't exhaust all of the passages that relate to it, but, you know, just try to do as much of a summary of the information as possible in setting that forth. Now, I gave you three passages initially, and we're going to talk about the second passage this morning, which is Isaiah chapter 51 and verse 16, because it teaches the same thing that Psalm 102 and verse 18 teaches regarding the people who are yet to be created. Now, as we know, God made a covenant with Israel in Mount Sinai, according to Deuteronomy chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. And one of the things that is said by Moses to Israel at that time, that the Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. He made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those of us who are here alive this day. So when we look at the covenant creation that God made with Israel in Sinai, he tells you that I didn't make it with the previous fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, et cetera. He says, I made it with those of you who are here alive this day. And that is the covenant that continued on all the way through until 70 AD. And it was the covenant that was in force at the time Isaiah 51 was written. And some 700 years or so later, it's covenant that was written in the time of the new Testament. So let's examine that as we get into the lesson. The first thing I want to do is read Isaiah 51 and verse 16, Isaiah 51 and verse 16, so that we can understand exactly what we are going to cover here. He says, I, and I have put my word in your mouth. I have covered you with the shadow of my hand that I may plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth and say to Zion, you are my people. Now remember the old Mount Sinai, which was in Egypt, the land of bondage under Moses. However, God said that what he had planned to do was to plant the heavens, which is a future text of the new heavens and new earth that he was going to bring about lay the foundations of the earth. So he's going to plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth, and then say to Zion, you are my people. So this is going to be a people who come out of Zion, who are created in the new heavens and the new earth that God was going to plant and say to his people, Zion, you are my people. All right. Now, once we consider that it's necessary for us to talk a little bit about Zion, because if he is going to lay those foundations or lay that foundation, let's see precisely what that means. If we turn back to Isaiah chapter 28 and we look at verse 16, we have a prophecy of the laying of the foundation in Zion. The scripture says, therefore, thus says the Lord God, behold, I lay in Zion, a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. Whoever believes will not act hastily. Also, I will make justice, the measuring line and righteousness, the plummet. The hell will sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters will overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled. Now, here's God writing to Israel and he tells them when he lays the foundation stone in Zion, because that's the time of the creation of the new people. He tells them that at that time, your covenant with death will be annulled and your agreement with Sheol will not stand with the overflowing scourge or when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it. He also tells Israel when that occurs, then you will be trampled down by it. And further, he says, as often as it goes out, it will take you for morning by morning. It will pass over and by day and by night, it will be a terror just to understand the report. So this is a very, very serious language that God has made to Israel. He tells them in Isaiah 51, 16, that he is going to plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth so that he can say to Zion, you are my people. Then in Isaiah 28 and verse 16, he says, I'm going to lay this foundation stone in Zion as a sure foundation, as a precious cornerstone. And then he says, whoever believes will not act hastily. And then he's going to destroy their covenant of death. He's going to their covenant of death and their covenant with shield. Now, when we turn to the new Testament, we find the mention of the laying of the foundation stone. The first place I'd like to turn your attention to is Matthew, the 21st chapter, Matthew, the 21st chapter in the parable of the husbandman starting in verse 33. Here is where the Lord says, another parable. There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it and dug a wine press. And then it built a tower and he leased it to the vine dressers and went into a far country. Now, when the vintage time drew near, he sent his servant to the vine dressers that they might receive its fruit. And the vine dressers took his servant. They beat one, kill one, stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first and they did likewise to them. Then last of all, he sent his son to them. Now, wait a minute, please understand. He said, last of all, he sent his son to them. So what we are looking at are the last days. What we are looking at in this text is God's last messenger to Israel, last prophet to Israel. He says, last of all, he sent his son. But when the vintage of vine dressers saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and they killed him. Now, therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine dressers? They said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lease his vineyard to other vine dressers who will render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus said to them, have you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? Now, wait a minute. To whom did Christ come? He came to his own, but his own received him not. They rejected him. Here's the text saying, he says, have you not read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Christ is the chief cornerstone of Isaiah 28 and verse 16. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God, see what he says, I'm taking the vineyard from you and I'm going to lease it out to other vine dressers. He was talking about the kingdom that had been given to Israel. And he says, the kingdom will be taken from you and given to another nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken. But on whomever it falls, on whomever that stone falls, the stone being Christ, it will be ground to powder. Now you have to understand this was written before 70 AD. It was written before the temple was destroyed, but it was a prophecy of the coming destruction of the temple for those who rejected the sure foundation for those who rejected the stone that was laid in Zion. And what was the purpose of God laying the stone in Zion? It was so he could say to Zion, you are my people. Well, let's ask ourselves the question. Did God say to Christ, you are my son. This day, have I begotten you? As we spoke in the previous video, when we said when Christ was raised from the dead, the scripture says, today I have begotten you. You are my son today. I have begotten you because he was born now in the realm of the spirit raised from the dead, the firstborn from the dead, and therefore becomes the sure foundation stone that God laid. He is the beginning of the new creation, the Amen, the faithful and Maat, or the true witness. This is what he's telling you. Now let's go to Acts chapter 4, 11 and 12, the fourth chapter of Acts verses 11 and 12. As we continue to notice this foundation stone laid in Zion, the scripture says in verse 11, this is the stone. Let me back up one verse so that we can, uh, specifically, uh, get the name in front of you. The Bible says, let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, which meant that the act that they committed was wicked, which is what they said in the parable and what was said of them on the day of Pentecost. And he said here, whom God raised from the dead by him, this man stands here before you hold the man whom Peter and John had, uh, healed at the temple. This is the stone. Notice Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the power by which they heal the lame man. This is the stone which was rejected by you. Who is the you there? That's his audience. That's Israel by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. And he says, nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. That's why he said everyone who falls on that stone, who humbles himself and falls down on that stone will be broken because he has a broken and a contrite spirit. But everyone who refuses to fall down on that stone, it will fall upon him and grind him to powder. This is why he's telling Israel there is salvation in no other. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which you must be saved or you may be saved now. And he does say must in that text. Now let's look in Romans, the ninth chapter in Romans chapter nine, we're still looking at this stone, this foundation that God was laying in Zion in Romans chapter nine, verses 30 through, uh, 31 or 33. The text says, what shall we say then that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith, but Israel pursuing the law of righteousness, pursuing Torah has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, or rather early, I said they were pursuing toward, they were pursuing the law of righteousness, which is not Torah. They were pursuing the law of righteousness. They had not attained to the law of righteousness. And notice he contrasts the law of righteousness with Torah, because he says, why? Because they did not seek it, it being the law of righteousness by faith, but as it were by the works of the law by Torah, they were seeking righteousness by Torah for they stumbled at that stumbling stone. So you have a stumbling stone and you have a tried stone, a sewer foundation, a stumbling stone, one that you slip and fall upon and one that you can stand upon as your foundation. As the scripture says in first Corinthians chapter three, verses nine and 10, but particularly verse 10, for there is no other foundation that can be laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, verse 33, as it is written, behold, I lay in Zion, a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on him will not be put to shame. So Christ is the true foundation. He is the stone and the Torah was the stone of stumbling that caused people to fall without a sure foundation. All right, let's go to first Peter, first Peter chapter two. In first Peter, the second chapter, Peter talks about the stone. Once again, beginning at verse four, he says, coming to him still reference to Christ as to a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. You also, he writes to the diaspora that have come into the fold of God, as we mentioned in earlier lessons, or maybe in some of the written comments from first Peter one, and also later here in this chapter two, nine and following, because they had been born again, according to first Peter one in verse 22, since you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed. What kind of seed is it that proceeds from the body, a corruptible seed, a seed wherein men will physically die, but of incorruptible by the word of God, the word of God is the incorruptible seed, but nevertheless, let's move on. And so he says, coming to him as to a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious you also as living stones. Now notice if Christ was the beginning of the new creation, Colossians one 18 revelation three 14 being raised from the dead so that God says to him today, today, I, uh, you are my son today. I have begotten you. And therefore he becomes the sure foundation and every building has to have a foundation. Christ is that sure foundation. Then everyone who was built upon Christ becomes a part of that building. Notice what he says. You also as living stones, where are you placing these stones on the foundation of Christ? If he's laid the foundation and now he's beginning to build people on that foundation and the stone is laid in Zion. That's why in Isaiah 51 in verse 16, he says that I may plant the heavens, lay the foundation of the earth, which is the sure foundation, which is Christ and say to Zion, you are my people. In other words, what the scripture is teaching us is that Christ is our Zion. Christ is Zion in the scriptures. Notice you are being built up a spiritual house, a spiritual house. Everybody wants to talk about a brick and mortar temple wants to talk about rebuilding a temple over in Jerusalem. The scripture says the sure foundation is Jesus Christ. No other foundation can be laid than that, which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And the living stones are built upon that foundation. And it is a spiritual house. So for all of those who are looking for Jesus to pop out of the sky, what's wrong with that? How are you going to see a spiritual house with your physical eyes? It's not going to happen. And the temple is the kingdom. Zechariah 12, or six rather verses 12 and 13, Daniel two verse 44 and 45, the house not made with hands. It's a spiritual temple. This is the sure foundation. You know why? Because the unsure foundation was about to be destroyed. That's why they were putting their faith in the sure foundation. Let's go on. He says a holy priesthood. Here's your priesthood. It's the holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the scriptures. Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone elect. That means chosen. Who are the chosen people? The chosen people are those who have are building on the foundation of the Messiah who have accepted the Messiah as their foundation and have become a part of this living stone, this living foundation as living stones built upon that foundation, a chief cornerstone elect chosen. Christ is the chosen one, precious. And he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, now watch to you who believe this is the same as in the parable of the vineyard or the vine Therefore, to you who believe he is precious, but to those who are disobedient to those who reject the foundation stone as they were doing in Acts 4, 11 and 12, he's talking to the Israel who rejected him, the larger part of the nation. He's saying to them, he has become the chief cornerstone, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. In other words, if you refuse him, then he becomes to you a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. Notice they stumble being disobedient to the word. Notice they stumble being disobedient to the word to which they were appointed their own word. They are rejecting their own word. They refuse their own word. They relegate to insignificance in order that they might continue to follow the law. That's why Paul said in Romans 10, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, which is how God makes man righteous and going about to establish their own righteousness, which is based upon keeping the 613 commandments have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. For those who reject Christ and not all do, but for those who reject him, he says for Christ is the end of the law is the end of Torah for righteousness to everyone who believes. Now the word in there is the word tell us, and it means a goal or design reached a point reached. So Christ was the goal of Torah for righteousness to everyone who believed. And thus he says they stumble being disobedient to the word to which they were also appointed. But you are a chosen generation. Look at the contrast contrary to those who are rejecting Christ, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. That's a verses 22 and 23 who once were not a people quoting directly from Hosea, but are now the people of God who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. And so I want to end this in Hebrews, the 12th chapter, because in Hebrews chapter 12, Paul talks about some people or the writer talks about some people, people question who wrote the book. We don't have to go into that argument at this point and starting in verse 18, he tells them, he talks about the two mountains, one being Mount Sinai that burned with tempest and fire and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words so that the people cried out, let us not hear his voice anymore. He says, for you have not come to that mountain. You are not coming to Mount Sinai where Torah was given. You have not come to that mountain verse 18, but verse 22, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. Now, wait a minute. Remember first Peter said it was a spiritual house. And now he says they had come to Mount Zion. The house sits upon Mount Zion and therefore it's a spiritual mountain to the city of the living God. The temple was within the city and therefore it is a spiritual city, the heavenly Jerusalem, not the earthly one to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly. And this is the festive occasion, a specific reference to tabernacles that they are having in this new Zion based upon and founded upon the sure foundation where the living stones have built up a spiritual house. This is what they had come to, to the church of the firstborn or the firstborn ones. We have Christ being the firstborn from the dead and those who became firstfruits with him, James 1, 18, as well as the living stones. Here they are with him to the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, not on a role in genealogical tables in the temple. That is the physical temple to God, the judge of all to the spirits of just men made perfect something the law could not do. Hebrews 10, one through four to Jesus, the mediator, the sure foundation, the tried stone of the new covenant, not the old one and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of able notice the exhortation. See that you do not refuse him who speaks for. They did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth much more. Shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shipped the earth. But now he promised saying yet once more, I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken. They were already being shaken as a things that are made. And that phrase means made with hands, that the things which cannot be shaken. In other words, that which is made without hands cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom, that's the kingdom of Daniel two 34 and Daniel two 44 and 45, which was the stone, the sure stone, the foundation stone cut out of the mountains made without hands. He tells you that that stone, they were receiving the kingdom, which cannot be shaken. And therefore let us have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godly fear. Now, the last statement I want to make or the last point is in revelation 21, where he says, I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea. And I, John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And he says, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. You see revelation 21 and 22 says the city had, um, no need of the sun for the lamb of God is it's like the lamb, God and the lamb are the light of it. And I saw no temple there in for God and the lamb are the temple. They are the city. They are the temple. Everything is in Christ. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. That's the foundation that God was laying. That's the people of the new foundation. That's what God meant when he says that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundation and say to Zion, you are my people, the people who had come to Mount Zion, which they did in the first century Hebrews 12, you did not come to the Mount. You came to Mount Zion. They were already receiving it. That's the already, but not yet. It was about to be consummated when Christ returned and destroyed the temple for all of those who rejected him. That's the message we wanted to convey. Go ahead and click that red button and subscribe. We ask you to leave us some comments and even your criticism. We'll do our best to respond to them. 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