PROPERTY FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Isaiah 34-35 / Luke 24:16-24
Proverbs 8:33, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.”
Proverbs 13:20, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

I would like you to think about three thoughts this morning:
1 – Your Investments: How are they doing?
2 – Your Interest: What gives you security and satisfaction?
3 – Your Involvement: Are you as committed to Christ as He is to you?

How many of you have ever purchased property? Did you buy it without examining it, or did you first examine the property, to make sure you were not buying swamp land?
When I was a boy a sitcom came on TV called Amos and Andy. Amos and Andy were always looking for a good deal, only to their own detriment. One day Andy bough a beautiful two story house at an absolute steal. He saw a picture of the house, but he never saw the house. He was so excited, he called Amos and said, “I want you to go with me and see the house I bought.” When they got to the property, sure enough, there stood a beautiful two story house. They went to the front door, unlocked the door, and step in and found themselves in the back yard. Andy said, “We walked through the whole house and didn’t even know it.” So they opened the back door to walk in the house again, and when they shut it, they were in the front yard. After thirty minutes of foolishness, the silly men realized, they had been taken by a con artist, they bought a house that only had a front wall.
How many of you have ever rented a house or room for a vacation and when you arrived, it was not what you thought? Some years ago, we rented a penthouse on top of a popular hotel on Myrtle Beech at what we thought, was an absolute steal because it was winter time. It was 25% of the normal price.
When we got to the hotel it was very pretty. We got in the elevator and went to the top floor and with excitement; we wanted to see this luxurious four bedrooms and four bathrooms condo, which overlook the ocean. When we walked in it was very unkempt. The carpet was coming off the floor and the ceiling was caving in, and besides that they were renovating the place. The balcony rails had been removed and replaced with small red tape which read “warning.” We heard the jack hammers going. Needless to say, we did not stay there.
Isaiah has been preaching judgment pretty much for 33 chapters, and now he is about to wrap it all up. He is going to tells us about two pieces of retirement properties that man can invest in for time and eternity.
I – PROPERTY ONE - The first piece of property is found in chapter 34. In this chapter Isaiah describes a few of the sights and sounds of this property, called earth. However, there is a problem; God is renovating this property at this time. It is called the tribulation renovation.
The second piece of property is found in Isaiah 35. Isaiah describes some of the sights and sounds after God finishes His renovation. It is know as the millennial kingdom, when the earth will be more beautiful than ever. Hovering above this fabulous piece of property will be the bridal suite Jesus Christ has prepared for His people.
Now, how is the Church involved in this property? What is the bride of Christ to look forward to?
Christians are not looking forward to the Great Tribulation. Nor, are Christians looking forward to living on this earth during the 1,000 year millennium. Christians are looking for, and longing for the coming of the Savior of the world.
Paul said, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:11-13).

When Christ returns He will return twice, with a seven-year interval. He will come back first, in the clouds, and take His bride to a very special place in the heavens. At this special place, properties, possessions and positions will be awarded to His bride. The bride will be adorned with crowns and jewels and properties for their stay in the new Millennium.
That truth is revealed in Revelation 4 and 5, and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 and First Corinthians 15:51-58. The bride of Christ will be in heaven with the Lord for seven years. During that time period, Isaiah will describe in chapter 34, how the property value on earth will really crash, as the Lord renovates the earth, by destroying the old foundations.
The second time the Lord returns to earth, He will return at the end of the tribulation and at the beginning of the Millennium. That is what Isaiah describes in Isaiah 35. The earth will be made like unto a utopia, and Christ and His Bride will dwell in the New Jerusalem for 1,000 marvelous years, that will be hovering above the earth, as describe Revelation 21 and 22.
What Isaiah reveals in chapter 34 is a contradiction to the philosophies and belief of the world system today. Governments and many religions today are living for the globalization of this world, and the uniting of religions world wide. The teaching is that everybody, everywhere should be tolerant of sin and evil and wickedness, and this will usher in peace on earth and good will to men.
Today, many have compromised and watered down God’s holy Word in such a way, that most men don’t know the broad road from the narrow road. They don’t know up from down, or right from wrong. The Lord said in the last days men would call “evil good and good evil.”
Today, nearly every nation on the face of the earth has removed the fear of God and the honor of God from their government and education program. Jesus Christ is no longer respected, honored, worshipped or bowed before as the Savior of the world. It seems, whoever lives for Christ is often ridiculed and often scorned in most places in this world. But God’s children can sing as the song writer put it, “Soon and very soon we are going to see the King,” or “This world is not my home I’m just a passing through.”
Not only is the Lord coming soon, but Judgment day is coming upon the earth. Isaiah describes that judgment day in chapter 34. It is closer to transpiring than ever.
Now understand, at this time in history, (Isaiah 34-35) the Assyrians were drawing nearer to destroying Jerusalem. Men and women had to make a decision to trust God, or compromise with the world, by yielding to the Assyrian’s lifestyle and culture. Today, the same decision is at hand to every child of God. God is calling His people to make a ransom for their souls. God says, “Give me your life and I will give you My life.”
God is looking for a few good men to walk with Him. The question, “Will Christ be Lord of all or not Lord at all of our life?” We must decide, “Will we live and invest our lives in the pleasures and joys of this world, which will soon be renovated, or will we live and invest our lives in Jesus Christ, and therefore, invest in His work for time and eternity?
For those who want to invest their lives in the world’s property, Isaiah reveals what it will look like one day in Chapter 34. He begins by giving an open invitation for every nation in the world to come, sit down and hear what will transpire on this earth in that day.

I – The Invitation of the Lord
Isaiah 34:1, “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.”
This is not an unusual statement that Isaiah made, for in Isaiah, chapter one and verse two, he calls for all the earth to listen and watch the judgment God will put on his own people. And for 33 chapters Isaiah has been telling Israel, Judah and the world of future judgment that will fall on God’s own people. In this chapter God’s eyes are turned towards a world that has rejected and rebelled against Him. So, here is the invitation, “Come, sit down and listen.”

II – The Indignation of the Lord v 2-
2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
The word “indignation” means “righteous anger.” Some would ignorantly ask, “Why is God angry with His creation?” The answers is simple, God is holy. God has patiently, lovingly, graciously and mercifully given man everything in this world for his enjoyment for 6,000 years. He gave mankind all the vegetation and meat to fill his hungry body. He gave mankind emotions of love and joy and sorrow to experience ecstasy. He gave mankind breath and life and health to live for Him and love Him, and man misused what God gave him.
God sent his prophets, priest, pastors and preachers to warn the world that they were walking on thin ice. They were walking near the quick sands of Sodom. They were walking on dangerous ground and judgment would come, if they did not turn around.
Many men laughed at God and others ignored God and His messengers, and generation after generation wandered farther and farther from God. At this time in Isaiah’s writings, after God takes His bride home, His righteous indignation, yea His vengeance and fury will explode upon this earth, and He will completely destroy the world, that man has corrupted with sin. Man’s days will end not only with a destruction and renovation of the earth, but with a terrible slaughter of the rebels of mankind in the Valley of Mediggo.
Many preachers today say, “God loves everybody and everything is wonderful and the world is getting better.” While it is true, God does love everybody, God hates man’s sin and rebellion. Everything is not wonderful and God will soon reveal His righteous indignation.
Today, God sends many warnings through the elements of nature, just as He did in the days of Israel. The famines, draughts and diseases across this earth have nothing to do with Mother Nature. As, God used the elements of His creation to warn man in Old Testament days, He uses those same elements today. When man would not listen to His prophets or obey His word, God thundered from heaven in other ways saying, “Turn back to me.”

After the Lord takes His bride to safety, many will die. There will not just be thousands, or millions that will die, but billions of people will die during the renovation of this world. In Revelation six, alone, a quarter of the population of the world will die, and then one-third of the population will perish and then, another third will die in the tribulation.
One would think that the world would be covered with carcasses and the stench from dead bodies by the end of this time, and it will.
Isaiah 34:3 reads, “Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.” The word, melted means to saturate. The earth will be saturated with the blood of humans and animals.
Isaiah 34:4 reads, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”
Isaiah 34:4 can refer to three things. 1) It can refer to the literal heavens around us, being dissolved as a fervent heat and thus picturing what will transpire at the end of the millennium, when God will make all things new once and for all. 2) Or it can be figurative. It could speak of those men who think themselves high and mighty and God will destroy their works and their world. 3) If the coming of the Lord is a ways off, it could very well refer to the millions of people that may live in satellite stations hovering above the earth in a hundred years or so. 4) So say it pictures the mushroom clouds of the nuclear bombs ascending into the air.
Which ever interpretation it is, the thought is, man can not run and hide from God. And as a leaf and fig that falls from a tree, man will receive no more life from God, so God is through with those who have rebelled against Him.

III – The Intentions of the Lord
Isaiah 34:5 “For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.”
In Genesis, God lets man imagine that His intent was to create a beautiful world, and give it as a gift to mankind and forever after, fellowship with His creation. Then, man sinned and everything changed. God revealed His intent to provide the world with a Savior and to save man from his sins. Again, man rebelled and spurned God’s love. Now, in the last days, God’s intent is different. God is about to unsheathe His sword.
Idumea represents Edom. Edom was the descendants from Esau. Esau rebelled against God and rejected the birthright. Thus, Edom represents all the earth that has rejected God’s only way to heaven and that is Jesus Christ.
The Lord will unsheathe his own sword, and fill the earth with the blood of all those who have rebelled against Him. Why? For 6,000 years the men of Edom have filled the earth with the innocent blood of God’s saints, and God never drew His sword. Now, things are different, God shall unsheathe His sword.
Isaiah 34:6 reveals that truth. “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.”
The year of recompense meant payment was due. Man had long neglected paying God the honor due Him. For hundreds and hundreds of years, man slowly stole from God everything God gave man. Man stole the time God gave him, man stole the talents God gave him and man stole the treasures God gave him, and man selfishly spend all that God gave him for his own pleasure.
Now, God calls the payment in, but man finds himself bankrupt of spiritual truth. Man’s response to God’s last cry is rebellion. He rebels and turns to fight against God, and the Lord unsheathes His holy sword and the earth is soaked with the blood of all who have refused God’s love.

Isaiah 34:9-17 reveals God’s judgment on Idumea (Edom). History proves that God’s word is accurate. The mountain where the people and cites of Edom once stood for hundreds of years were destroyed, and have never been rebuilt. God is saying in a prophetic way, once He destroys this world during the tribulation, man will never again rebuild a world government filled with such wickedness.
Now stop and think for a moment. As Isaiah invited all the nations of the world to come and to hear what would happen to them in the future, what if Billy Graham would have one more chance to stand before the TV cameras of this world and have his words transported across the globe via satellite to every nation?
What if he stood and said, “Listen leaders of this world, you that have rejected Jesus Christ, as the only God and Savior of mankind. Now, you shall be rejected by Him. Your land shall be left desolate. Your cities will burn with fire. Your carcasses will rot in your streets, if you do not repent and fall on your face before the Holy God of truth.
I’m afraid he would cease to be a popular as he is today.
The sale advertisement of earth’s property after the tribulation might read this way: For Sale: Thousands of acres of land, no grass, no trees, no vegetation and no life. The ground is saturated with human skeletons and human blood. Bargain prices: Buy now and save.

II - PROPERTY TWO
Isaiah 35 reveals to man the goodness of God. The horrible tribulation is not the end of things for man. The fires of God’s judgment have now burned out. His mighty sword of vengeance has been sheathed. The sorrows of night have ended and joy has come, for it is morning. Tears shall give way to joy, and death shall give way to life.
There shall be no more raging storms of God’s wrath. The storm clouds have cleared and the sun will shine for 1,000 marvelous years. The world will have no war, no famine, no strife, no divorce and no division for Jesus Christ will rule and reign.
Three very important transactions take place in the Millennium:

I – The Material earth will be Restored - v 1-2
Isaiah briefly describes the material earth and how it shall be restored. Isaiah 35:1, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”
Deserts of the earth cover one-fifth of the earth, or twenty percent, or one out of every five square miles of land space on the earth today. In some deserts that have a meteorological station as in El Azizia, the temperature has been recorded at 150 degrees. Land is very cheap there. The soil is sand, the vegetation is zilch, and the wild life is composed of a few serpents and scorpions.
The wilderness is defined as a natural area on earth not modified by human activity. Wildernesses cover 45% of the world’s land mass. So at lease 65% of the land mass of the earth today is not inhabited by mankind.
Now think! There are 6.7 billion people in the world today. There are 196,940,400 square miles of land mass, of which 65% we are not using. But, one day it will all be usable.
For every square mile there is 43,560 square feet, or 2,175 acres. If each person lived on one acre of the earth, the earth could easily house 500 billion people.
However, in Portland, Oregon today, there are 3,000 people living per square mile. In Los Angeles there are 5,600 people living per square mile. At that rate the earth cold easily house over one trillion people during the millennia.
But, think about this. In Manhattan their lives 52,000 people per square mile. If, the world in the Millennium is adorn with God’s beauty and majestic cites reaching high into the sky, 52,000 people per square acre will be no problem. If that is the case the world could easily inhabit 10 trillion people during the millennium. And think, nobody will have to have a morning cup of coffee before they can smile in the morning, for Jesus will be the joy of man’s heart.
And the deserts and wilderness will blossom like a rose, and with the song of rejoicing I believe that will be resonating from the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Isaiah 35:2, “It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.”
To grasp the beauty of this verse, a person would have to know the character traits of these lands that made them so desirable. Lebanon was a enchanting land known for its beautiful white mountains, and Carmel was known for its abundance of vegetation and beauty. Finally, Sharon was known for its overflowing vineyards and flowers. Isaiah is attempting to describe for the Hebrew people, with terms they were familiar with, just how beautiful the millennium would be.
If I were to describe the beauty of the millennium with terms you might understand today, I would say to you, “Have you seen the snow capped mountains of Alaska and watched the sun set at 10:00 at night?” Have you ever swam in the oceans of Hawaii and seen the coral reefs?” Have you been to the wheat fields of Kansas or the corn fields of Illinois? Have you driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, or stood on the North Carolina Coast and watched the Sun rise.
Take the most beautiful sites you have ever seen and realize, your eyes have never seen the beauties that await you in God’s millennial kingdom. Your ears have never heard the peaceful and joyful sounds that the millennium will bring.

II – The Men of the earth will be Renewed - v 3-9
Verse three reveals that there will be no weak hands or feeble knees. In other words there will be no deformities in that day, no wheel chairs and no need for hospitals.
Isaiah 35:3 “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.”
Verse four reveals to us, that there will be no fear throughout the earth. The One who saved you will be the one who will take care of you. Verse five tells us there will be no deformities.
Isaiah 35:5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”
There are estimated 40 million blind people in the world today and 15.2 million deaf and dumb. Verse five admonished the blind to know in that marvelous day, there will be no blindness. Everyone will have 20-20 vision. Neither will there be any deafness on the earth. Every one will hear clearly the sounds of heaven and earth.
Verse seven reminds us again that the wilderness and deserts will be no more, and the most important thought of all is found in verse eight.
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”
The highway, or the walk of every man during the millennium will be holiness and righteousness and purity. The song in man hearts, the thoughts in man’s mind, the talk of the town will be Jesus!
There will not be any strangers or unsaved people to God in the land, in that marvelous 1,000 years period. Everyone will know the Lord and the Lord will know every one.
And verse nine tells the world that there will be no types of fearful animals, for they shall all be tamed.
9 “No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:”
If this verse is symbolic, the Lord may be speaking of the lion, Satan, and the ravenous beast refers his demonic creatures. They will be in the pit with the devil at this time

III – The members of God’s family will return to Zion
Isaiah 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Those that shall inhabit the earth during the 1,000 years will be the redeemed of the ages. They will understand what it means to be ransomed. They will sing songs of joy and their lives will be filled with gladness. What a glorious day that shall be.
In conclusion, I admonish you to invest your time, talents and treasures in eternal things so you may enjoy that 1,000 year millennium more than ever.