ISAIAH’S END-TIME TIMELINE

Isaiah’s End-time Timeline Chapters 52-53

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

The Day of the Lord: A Day of Vengeance for Some and a Jubilee for Others.

Psalm 22, Isaiah 61:2, 1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14, Leviticus 16, 23:26-32

Isaiah 52:10-15 with Isaiah 53…. In the light of the Day of Atonement

(Remembering that the word atonement carries the meaning of at least 4 words…redemption, ransom, propitiation, and reconciliation.) Without question the last verses of Isaiah 52 and the entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah gives us the clearest and most precise prophetic description of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of Man. Who, in His first coming, was that perfect atonement of God for His own determined recompense for sin.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” [1 John 3:8]

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.…” [Hebrews 2:14]

Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God was/is prophetically typed in ALL the sacrifices/offerings unto God, as well as in ALL the set times of God. These shadows of Jesus’ sacrificial death, culminate once a year on the Day of Atonement. The Wisdom of which was hidden, as Paul so aptly informs us in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8. “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought; But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” In this, His death, we discover the ruse of God’s purpose.

So it was in Jesus Christ’s death, “…for he that is hanged is accursed of God…” (“It is finished…” Jesus Christ, having finished His work, that is to say, the work in which He participated in, in the 7^th day He rested.) This is graphically portrayed in the 53^rd chapter of Isaiah and in Psalms 22, in which the Atonement was realized.

He then descended into the pit of Hades from the Cross, where “…he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,….” [1 Peter 3:19,20] and from there to Paradise/Abraham’s bosom. [Luke 23:43 with Luke 16] He was God’s offering for atonement. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” He also became the High Priest of His own offering, of which Hebrews 9 & 10 is clear enough as it wholly relates to Leviticus 16 and 23:23-32. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”

And this He could only be, in that God raised Him from among the dead; as that first fruit offering. “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” [Psalms 16:9,10 Acts 2:27, 13:35] (Had we time, and if it lent to our subject, we would pause and discuss the impossibility of our resurrection into the presence of God without our new bodies. [Exodus 20:26, 28:42, 32:25] In that if Christ did not rise up to Heaven and God at His death without His Body, then neither do we!)

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” [1 Peter 1:18-25]

(We need to be clear that it is not by the Blood we mature, but that by it we have our standing. But our spiritual growth is by the Word and the Holy Spirit. It is by water, that is to say, by the washing of the Word and by the Holy Spirit that our daily life is cleansed and kept clean. It is the washing of the laver after the altar of the blood sacrifice. It is the Water of the spiritual Rock that goes with us through the Wilderness of life that our thirsty hearts may draw upon.)

THE TWO ASPECTS OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

In Isaiah 61:1 & 2 is reference to two aspects of The Day of Atonement. First is the proclaiming of the Jubilee, (Leviticus 25:9) to which the Lord refers to as Himself in His words “this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears,” [Luke 4:21,22] and as it is unto this day, even today. Then, Jesus stopped and closed the book, “…and he gave it (the book) again to the minister, and sat down.” This being typical of that book now sealed in heaven, in the Hand of God, until such time He is directed and He rises again and takes the book and breaks its seals. And takes up where He had left off there in Luke 4… “…in the Day of Vengeance of our God…” This being the second aspect of that Day of Atonement/Day of the Lord. [Revelation 4:1,2 5:1,7 6:1]

So at the First Coming of Jesus Christ, was the Atonement realized in its first aspect. To all those who receive the Blood Atonement, in this age of Jubilee/mercy and grace now declared. (That of setting the captive free from satan’s kingdom) And there now in the womb of the earth, that seed of the worthies being formed (Luke 20:35), into that body of the Bride, that will come forth in glorious reconciliation at the sounding of the Last Trump. In the Harvest of the Sower’s Word, the First Resurrection out from among the dead.

It is because the Jews and the Gentiles have rejected the Atoning Blood of Christ that they stand in harm’s way in this Day. And they put themselves subject to the fearsome punishment which accompanies that Day on all those found without Atonement seal, on Old Covenant ground. The Jews position is seen and evidenced in Amos 5:18. “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!  Why do you long for the day of the Lord?  That day will be darkness, not light … will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light – pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?’ This verse indicates that the popular understanding among the people at the time of his ministry in the northern kingdom of Israel (c.760 BCE) was that it would be a day when God would intervene in such a way as to exalt Israel to be chief among the nations, irrespective of Israel’s unfaithfulness towards Him. In the latter days, the attitudes of those, their forefathers, in this regard are also predictable. But much more weighty are the words and attitudes of their more recent forefathers. “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.” 

Both these and other passages in the prophetic writings underscore the fact that the Day of the Lord (their Day of Atonement) is to be a day when the terror of divine Judgment is to be poured out on the unbelieving nation of Israel. [See, for examples Isaiah 2:6-21; Jeremiah 30:4-17; Joel 1:15 – 2:11; Malachi 4:1] Yet, this by no means represents the whole of God’s purposes at that time. The unbelieving nations of the world will also be brought into judgment. And in addition, a surviving remnant of the nation of Israel will enter into a national conversion, forgiveness of sins, cleansing, and restoration to possession of the entirety of the Land that God Promised to Abraham. [See Isaiah 4:2-6; Jeremiah 30:18-31:40; Micah 4:1-8; Zechariah 12:10 – 13:2]

That Great Atonement Day is where the dispensation of MERCY and GRACE in the New Covenant and the suspended dispensation of THE DAY OF JUDGMENT in the Old Covenant meet. It’s prophetic meaning realized in the Parousia of Jesus Christ the Messiah, in that manner of Psalms 18:11 with Revelation 4:1,2, and Daniel 7:13. And then in the second in the physical manifestation. [Acts 1:11, Revelation 19,  Zechariah 14:4, Matthew 24:30]

The Parousia/ His presence in the 1^st heaven associated with this world, being the Prelude. (An action serving as a introduction to something forthcoming, that is to say His manifestation in the earth itself.) And also being the interlude. (An intervening period of time, in which He receives His investiture and opens the seals from the first heaven, unseen to man.) The Presence of Christ in the first heaven runs Parallel with Anti-Christ’s parousia/presence on the earth.

Hebrews 9 & 10’s language has to do with Yom Kippur in Leviticus 16

The blood of bulls and (2) goats refer to the sin offerings peculiar to that Atonement Day. And the mentioning specifically of the purging of the conscience is an allusion to the typical significance of the 2 goats. Especially on to that one whom the sins (sin nature, guilt) are laid upon. And that, just after the blood sin offering of the Bull and other goat are mingled and offered to God in the Holiest Place and the sin offering having had been already accepted by God. It should be understood that the scapegoat is representative of the Korban of God Himself. Whose faithful Atonement provided the reality for the purging of the Conscience and the true guilt removal unto a change of nature through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The affirmation, or filling up the meaning of the inferior…….“ for the law having a shadow of the good things to come, could not make the comers thereunto perfect.”.

The term in Hebrew translated La Azazel comes from a root which means “for him who is wholly put aside”, “wholly separated, or put wholly aside or away”. Within the Atonement of Christ is not only that atonement for “SIN” through the Blood unto eternal life, but then the “flesh” or “SIN NATURE” is to be wholly put aside, wholly separated. Having put our faith now not only in the Blood Atonement, but in the Death put upon that Spotless Soul. The fullness or complete objective of Isaiah 53, being that we may now receive the New Covenant promise, in the owning of the Power of the Holy Spirit with His leading and empowerment, to set the flesh nature aside wholly, as satan’s nature. [Romans 6-8]

It’s instructive to note that the Goat was to be handed over to a stranger, generally understood to be a Gentile, and is fulfilled in the hand-off, with the rejection of the Lord by the one Nation and the acceptance of His Atonement by another.  A further defining of the two aspects and two groups with which God is dealing with in the Atonement of Christ.

The High Priest will complete the ceremony of the Day of Atonement after the fourth and last exit from the Holy of Holies. This is where he now removes the golden censer and censer dish, finishes the evening sacrifice, lights the Menorah, and places the evening incense upon the Golden Censer, now within the Holy Place.  This positioning is in accordance with the Day, in the appointed times in accord with TABERNACLES, as it would only be obtainable as a result of a People being in good standing.

Again THE TWO ASPECTS OF THE DAY OF THE LORD and THE DAY OF ATONEMENT apply to two different groups.

ONE ASPECT is that Rest (“….there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” – Hebrews 4:9) that is to be found upon the completion of the Great Day of Atonement in the latter day wherein all remaining Israel will have afflicted their souls in repentance for their sin. The High Priest having been hidden from them while He was presenting the sin offering behind the veil, now with a great blast from trumpet He reveals Himself to the People. Fulfilling those words, “the Lord shall set  His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt…and from the islands of the sea.”  [Isaiah 11:11]

Not only this do these prophetic words and set times typify a second coming unto Israel, but these days are the ultimate anti-type for another aspect that is for the New Covenant keeper. [Romans 8:1-23]  When Jesus Christ, the heavenly High Priest, shall come forth from within the veil; when the last Trumpet will sound, and He who “…..once was offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. [Hebrews 9:28] (“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you……Receiving the end of your faith, even the savation of your souls.”) The constituting of the two aspects is finally fully realized.

And so it is that Scripture shows the close association between the Day of Atonement (God’s offering of Psalms 22 and Isaiah 53), the Day of the Lord in Vengeance, (the pouring out of God’s Just Wrath and Vengeance upon all wicked and casting evil forces into a Millennial Prison- Revelation 20) …and the Jubilee. That is in the culminating of all these aspects of “THAT DAY” that constitutes the rest of the 7^th day or millennial sabbath. In the establishing of Jesus Christ King of kings upon His Throne in His Millennial Kingdom, seeing the results of His Judgment Seat (2 Corinthians 5:10) the Bride of Christ on thrones, now caught up to join Him in the heaven just above the earth, now replacing Angels, good and evil, in that realm. [Revelation 12 with Revelation 14] And restoring Israel His Wife to preeminence upon the earth.

The Day of Atonement and the Day of the Lord in the Tribulation period

The Day itself involves the direct intervention of God in the affairs of men, bringing judgment and great destruction upon Israel through military invasion by the Gentile nations. Which in turn results in the destruction by God of those armies at the return of the 2^nd Coming of the Lord Jesus, and deliverance for the repentant remnant of Israel.  This period will be a time of unparalleled distress for the whole world, but pre-eminently for the house of Jacob, for whom it will be the final outworking of God’s judgment upon their national sin and apostasy. This must come to pass before the restoration of the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6) can take place. That it will be a time of unequalled distress in Judah is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-29.

The final issue of the “Vials” judgments foretold in Revelation 15 and 16 will be that vengeance rendered to Babylon and the adversaries of God, as a divine avenging of the blood of His servants. [Revelation 19:2] And that this vengeance and that of the Lord on THAT DAY of Revelation 19 in the land of Israel, will “make expiation for His land, for His people”. This is explained by Numbers 35:32,33. “….blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it”.  Hence, in the passing out of the Age of Mercy and Grace, and reverting to the old covenants, the expiation for the land here in view IN THE DAY OF THE LORD will not be made by the blood of Christ shed on the cross. The blood for expiation (atonement) in the Day of Atonement/Day of the Lord is in accordance with THE BOOK OF NUMBERS and the Covenant of Noah, and refers to the blood of Vengeance for those who have and on those future, who will yet shed in Israel the blood of God’s servants.

And accordingly, of one of the last of those vial plagues it is said it will “complete the wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1) we hear the angel of the waters saying, when the rivers and fountains are turned to blood: “They poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.” [Revelation 16:4-7] They are worthy, meaning it is JUST under the Law and Old Covenants to which they have claimed allegiance. This “righteous judgment” will atone for the land defiled by the violence done in it. This mighty display of justice will lead directly to the restoration of Israel, which in turn inspires the Gentile nations to submit to Israel’s God, even as Moses said in the song: “Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people” of Deuteronomy 32. And this, when she will have “….received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Then at once will go forth the word: “Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God: speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.… Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” [Isaiah 40: 2b, 1, 10]

Both Israel and the Anti Christ confederation will fall under the treading out of God’s Wrath. [Seen in Revelation 14:20 and 19:15] Of Christ, it is said He will “tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.” 

Additionally….

It might be helpful to some in order to see the differences between the First Goat and the Second Goat….To contrast the differences between Passover and the work of the Day of Atonement.

In Passover we see the beginning steps of Babes…coming out.
In the Day of Atonement we will discover Overcomers in the coming into Tabernacles.

In Passover we see redemption and the need for un-leavening, before Pentecost.
In the Day of Atonement we see the Power after Pentecost.

In Passover un-leavening we recognize sin as sinful.
In the Day of Atonement we have recognized sin as exceedingly sinful.

In Passover we willingly experience the efficacy of the blood of sacrifice.
In the Day of Atonement we see our need for exceeding efficacy of His Atonement.

In Passover we see redemption but the lack of power unto Inheritance….and subjects of other judgments.
In the Day of Atonement the Power of Resurrection unto the fullness of the Inheritance and kept from other Judgments.

In Passover we see the protection from eternal Death.
In the Day of Atonement we see the possibility of Regality in eternal Glory.

In Passover we see the gracious gift of God.
In the Day of Atonement we see the winning or losing of the Prize.

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