Isaiah – or ‘Jeshua Saves!’
1
Here is the record
of visions received by Isaiah, son of Amoz, over a 100 year period.
Message to
Rebellious Judah
The creator says
‘My children have
risen up and oppose me!
Through rebellion
they make themselves victims of retribution.
My beautiful
people now stand abandoned, like a derelict building in a wasteland.
And what makes it
worse?
They seem
oblivious, still undertaking righteous rituals; all a waste.
They make their
lives so difficult with privations and performances.
These mean nothing
while they have the blood of the innocent on their hands.
Give up these evil
ways! Sort out your oppressive practices.
Prioritise the
poor and the vulnerable.
Simply repent and
our relationship can be fully restored.
Ignore me now and
you are walking into the swords of your enemies.’
2
The creator has
spoken.
My people, once so
faithful - now adulterous.
Once like pure
silver, now like the slag sifted from the top,
Once the best of
wines, now like extremely watered down plonk.
Your leaders are
easily bribed. They do not defend the poor and vulnerable.
Enough of this!
A time of testing
will come. The pure silver will be separated from the slag.
You will have wise
and selfless leaders.
Those who turn
from wickedness will be made strong.
A fire will rage
that will burn up the things that have taken my place,
Things that are
meaningless but receive much attention and wealth.
As the life of the
world comes to an end, people from all nations will come to their creator.
The creator will
be on the highest mountain, all people will acknowledge the creator and bring
perfect praise and
honour. The mountain is called Zion.
The creator will
mediate between the nations and help them to settle differences.
Peace, unknown
before, will be declared.
Weapons of
destruction will be converted to useful means.
The decedents of
Judah will walk in the light of their creator.
All meaningless
wealth, powerful weapons, scheming alliances,
All this will be
brought low - nothing will stand.
Don’t put your
confidence in human power; ultimately it’s as frail as breath.
3
How the mighty
will fall.
Their
sophisticated society will collapse into ruins.
Young children
will take power, foolishness will reign.
And the creator
will step forward and demand justice.
“How dare you
allow my people to have their faces ground in the mud?”
Such beautiful
people, now scabbed and wretched, barely alive.
But as the outward
trapping are stripped away they find they are left with nothing,
Low and degraded.
4
All is not lost; a
branch on the tree remains alive.
The creator lifts
up the broken body.
The filth is
washed away,
Wounds are healed
with hot fiery breath.
Beauty comes back
to Zion.
The creator
provides shade on the mountain.
Cloud covers the
mountain by day, and a fiery flame hovers by night.
We receive shelter
from the midday heat, and a hiding place from the storms and rain.
5
I hear a song well
up,
My beloved has a
vineyard on a high fertile hill.
He ploughs the
land and plants the vines. Every care is taken.
In the middle he
builds a watchtower, he creates a winepress ready for the harvest.
The grapes grow
well, but are they are wild grapes.
What else could I
have done? I was expecting sweetness, but I receive a hash rebuke.
What shall I do? I
will abandon the crop.
Uproot and tear
down.
Wild animals shall
make this place their home.
I planted
expecting a crop of justice, instead I have found oppression.
I expected
righteousness, instead I receive cries of violence.
See all this
futility.
Many houses, but
all empty,
Much wine, but all
pathetically drunk.
So my people are
taken away into exile.
The wise are
ignored and go hungry,
All humanity is
brought low, even the arrogant lower their eyes.
Wild animals will
prosper in the ruins,
The wicked will
mock the creator saying;
“Hurry up and sort
out this mess.”
But the creator’s
anger is burning,
For the futility
of his people, for their destruction.
The creator sends
a signal to nations far away, a whistle to the ends of the earth.
People are coming,
purposefully, without tiredness, surefooted, like an arrow,
Sparks flying from
their horses hooves.
A lion is roaring,
like the roar of the sea.
So far there is
only darkness over the land- the light is withheld.
6
It was in the year
that King Uzziah died that I saw the creator,
Seated on a high
throne, with billowing robes filling the chamber.
In attendance were
mighty and strange figures; people with six wings.
Two wings covered
their face, two their feet, and they flew with the third.
Together they sung
an awesome song of praise to the creator.
“Great, Mighty,
Perfect is the creator,
Every part of the
earth is filled with this glory.”
As they spoke, the
building shook terribly and from its foundations smoke rose up.
I cried out
“my life is over,
I have seen perfection, and I am wretched and contaminated.
I am from a people
who do wrong. Surely I cannot see the creator and live?”
Then one of the
strange beasts flew to the centre of the room to a great fire of burning coals.
The beast took
tongs and picked up a coal,
Coming over to me
and gently touched the coal to my lips.
I then hear say:
“See this coal; it
has touched your lips. Now your imperfections are removed.
You are made clean
as new.”
The creator
surveyed the whole world and asked,
“Who can I send as
a messenger to these people in their need?”
And I stood up and
said
“Here I am, Send
me.”
And the creator
replied,
“yes, you go, but
be aware, these people will hear, but they will not understand.
They will watch,
but learn nothing.
They will see with
their eyes, but turn away from healing.”
Continue until all
their towns are empty, their houses deserted.
The land turned to
waste.
But a remnant will
endure, a stump, a terebinth.
This is the hope
that remains.”
7
King Uzziah’s
grandson, Ahaz, came to power.
And it was
discovered that Syria and Israel planned to gang up on Judah and lay it low.
Everyone in Judah
was quaking.
Then the creator
spoke to Isaiah and said
“Take your son
‘Remnant Returns’ and go to Ahaz.
Tell him to stop
worrying. Nothing bad can happen to Judah.
Syria is held by
Damascus, and Damascus by its king. And the King will come to nothing.
Same goes for
Israel. Samaria and the King are finished. Trust in me and be safe.”
As time passed the
creator sent Isaiah again, to strengthen the king’s faith.
“Ask for a sign
and it will give to you. Make it tough.”
But Ahaz said
“I’m not doing
that. Playing around, that’s not my style.”
Isaiah was
exasperated.
“Look, this isn’t
just about you. It’s about the line of King David. There will be a sign - an
impossibly
difficult sign
also. A child will be born to a virgin mother. He will have the name ‘Restored
Once
More’. He will
understand justice from weaning. Before he grows up the threats you fear will
be
gone. Until then
your family will be safe. After that, the Assyrians and Egyptians will swarm
over
your land. They
will come with a razor and scalp the hillsides.
This is a hard
message, and one to be respected.”
8
Next I was
instructed to make a sign with bold words saying
‘Stolen and carted
away.”
I had good people
watch me do this.
My wife gave birth
to our second child and we were instructed to name him
‘Stolen and carted
away’.
When he utters his
first words will be the day of the Assyrian attack.
And just as the
warning states, they will be exiled.
Then the creator
explained.
“I care so much
for these people but they do not listen.
They were so
exultant at the down fall of Israel and Syria that they forget their own
predicament.
The swollen river
of the Euphrates has come from Assyrian and washed them away.”
And the creator
who helps me to be strong says:
“Don’t think like
these others. Fear only me and you will be safe.
The one ‘Restored
once more’, will be a great rock.
Sadly for many,
they will trip and fall.
Put your trust in
me, even though it looks like I have turned away from my people.
Some will look to
other evil and devious powers for help.
They will deny the
creator and stumble on in darkness.”
9
This darkness
cannot go on for ever. My people will be humbled.
A time is coming
when, in Galilee, where foreigners live, that my glory will be seen.
And people who
have lived in darkness will see a great light.
My people will be
joined by many, and there will be great rejoicing.
They will be
released from servitude, and their heavy burdens will be lifted.
The oppressor’s
power will be broken; the weapons of war will be burnt.
And the restorer
will be called:
WONDERFUL
COUNSELLOR, MIGHTY CREATOR, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE.
And his rule will
go on for ever and never end.
This is the
creator’s will and it will happen.
People, dearly
loved, who turn away from this life force will surely suffer.
They attempt to
create a city in their own strength.
But this will not
protect them from their enemies.
Even after great
suffering they do not turn.
It is a terrible
outcome.
10
The untouchable,
corrupt Judge will fall.
Assyria, in its
haughty power will fall.
In their arrogance
they do not realise that their actions are part of a divine plan.
How can the adze
boast greater power than the one wielding it?
Fire and
pestilence are my weapon.
I leave only a few
children.
But the remnant of
my people will stop trusting in human powers.
They have been
sifted, and now will return.
As the enemy rests
at Nob, it shakes its fist at Mount Zion.
Look, an axe is
falling; the mighty tree of Lebanon has been struck.
11
Out of the stump
of David’s family will grow a branch.
It will bear fruit
from the ancient root.
And the spirit of
wisdom, of the creator, will rest on him.
His complete
inclination will be to live in step with his creator.
The poor and the
destitute will receive justice.
The whole earth
will shake at the force of his words.
He will wear
garments of praise; righteousness his belt, truth his undergarment.
We will see the
wolf and the lamb lie down together.
The calf walking
with the lion.
Babies will play
near the cobra’s hole; they will pick up snakes and not be hurt.
A banner of
salvation will declare that David’s heir in on the throne.
All nations will
rally to him.
Israel and Judah
will be reconciled.
On that day the
creator will bring back the remnant,
From Iraq, Egypt,
Ethiopia,
The creator will
devise the routes back to Zion.
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