B. The Child made Gift. Isaiah 9:6-7

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

God's gift had been given that the world may recognize him, who will establish His kingdom - the kingdom of God - which comprises the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory.

1. Kingdom of Grace and Kingdom of Glory

As used in the Bible, the expression “kingdom of God” is employed to designate both the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. The kingdom of grace is brought to view by Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews. After pointing to Christ, the compassionate intercessor who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” the apostle says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace.” [Hebrews 4:16.] The throne of grace represents the kingdom of grace; for the existence of a throne implies the existence of a kingdom. In many of his parables, Christ uses the expression, “the kingdom of Heaven,” to designate the work of divine grace upon the hearts of men. {GC88 346.4}

2. When was the Kingdom of Grace Established?

The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race. It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God; and through faith, men could become its subjects. Yet it was not actually established until the death of Christ. Even after entering upon his earthly mission, the Saviour, wearied with the stubbornness and ingratitude of men, might have drawn back from the sacrifice of Calvary. In Gethsemane the cup of woe trembled in his hand. He might even then have wiped the blood-sweat from his brow, and have left the guilty race to perish in their iniquity. Had he done this, there could have been no redemption for fallen men. But when the Saviour yielded up his life, and with his expiring breath cried out, “It is finished,” then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was assured. The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair in Eden was ratified. The kingdom of grace, which had before existed by the promise of God, was then established. {GC88 347.2}

3. When will the Kingdom of Glory be Set Up?

And "IN THE DAYS OF THESE KINGS" shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." {ST, April 29, 1897 par. 4}

The Lord Jesus would take man into partnership with himself. Human intelligences have been endowed by their Creator with capabilities and powers, which, if surrendered to God, will promote his glory in building up his kingdom in the earth. Human beings can reach human beings through the imparted gift of the Spirit of God. Through faith man accepts the world's Redeemer as his Captain, and when standing under his blood-stained banner, he becomes a partaker of the divine nature, and in cooperation with God is to act an important part in revealing the glory of God to a world in the darkness of transgression. {ST, October 8, 1894 par. 8}

PLEASE CHECK OUR PREVIOUS LESSON dated January 18, 2020

1. https://sites.google.com/view/sabbathschoolmeatindueseason/2020-q1-daniel/3-from-mystery-to-revelation?authuser=0

2. https://sites.google.com/view/meatindueseason/5-mighty-stone-and-the-great-image-of-daniel-2?authuser=0

4. Especially for Last Days -Set Up His Everlasting Kingdom

Read the book of Daniel. Call up, point by point, the history of the kingdoms there represented. Behold statesmen, councils, powerful armies, and see how God wrought to abase the pride of men, and lay human glory in the dust. God alone is represented as great. In the vision of the prophet He is seen casting down one mighty ruler, and setting up another. He is revealed as the monarch of the universe, about to set up His everlasting kingdom--the Ancient of days, the living God, the Source of all wisdom, the Ruler of the present, the Revealer of the future. Read, and understand how poor, how frail, how short-lived, how erring, how guilty is man in lifting up his soul unto vanity. . . . {4BC 1166.4}

Please click below!

1. https://sites.google.com/view/meatindueseason/6-the-establishment-of-the-kingdom-of-glory?authuser=0

2. https://sites.google.com/view/meatindueseason/discourses-on-pre-millennial-kingdom?authuser=0

Please also note the following:

• This foretold Child could only be the Messiah, Jesus:

— Wonderful Counselor: A wise adviser that leads properly. It's the same name that the Angel of the Lord (Jesus Himself) used when visiting the parents of Samson (Judges 13:18)

— Mighty God: He is God Incarnate, the powerful and brave hero (John, 1:1; 1 John 5:20)

— Everlasting Father: Jesus is eternal, and He's the Father of all humankind, because He created humans and their world (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; 2 Peter 3:18)

— Prince of Peace: Jesus is the righteous King that came to Earth to bring peace (Revelation 17:14; John 14:27; John 16:33)

D. The Stem of Jesse. Isaiah 11

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” (Isaiah 11:1)

1. See It Through the Relationship

In this illustration there are three persons brought to view: Jesse (the father of David), the rod (David), and the Branch (Christ). The relationship shows that David (the rod) is not Christ (the Branch) for the "rod" sprang from the stem of Jesse, and the Branch from the rod -- a fact which is born out in the cry of the multitude when Christ entered Jerusalem. They shouted: "Hosannah to the son of David." Matt. 21:15. Plainly, therefore, the "rod," coming from the stem of Jesse, is symbolical of David; and the Branch, coming from the rod, is symbolical of the son of David -- Christ. (8Tr 45)

2. The Ensign, shall Gentile Seek

Isa. 11:2-5 - So though the "ensign" emblematizes the connection of three persons (Jesse, the root; David the rod; and Christ, the Branch), yet the power and wisdom of Christ is its underlying and controlling force. Wherefore says Christ: "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" (Rev. 22:16), bearing out that He is all and in all.

Since therefore from the "stem" of Jesse came the "rod (David), and from the rod sprang the Branch (Christ), David the visible king and Christ the invisible King of kings shall "in that day" -- in our time -- constitute the "ensign," and "to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest [or His resting place, -- the location where the "rod" or ensign stands -- the kingdom] shall be glorious." Yea "I will make the place of My feet glorious" (Isa. 60:13), saith the Lord.

3. One Shepherd in the Last days

"And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods." Ezek. 34:23-25.

4. His Church, or Kingdom - Theocratic Government - a Glorious Church

Thus His church, or kingdom, is again reflected without "spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27), a theocracy of peace, safety, and invincibility, under the rule of one shepherd and a king -- David, His servant.

The people are illustrated as trees. The Lord is first to take out the people -- clean the land -- and then a Branch shall stand. In other words, one set is to be taken out completely and a new set is to stand in its place. The land of our fathers, Palestine, then will be clean from all wicked and wickedness, and Christ's people will be there with Christ's principles and influence ruling over them.

5. God's Eternal Kingdom on Earth Describe

The rest of chapter 11 describes the condition of God's Kingdom and the way His people are brought there, and continuing on with the praise of the righteous in the Kingdom, chapter 12 commences with the word "and." Let us read through this chapter and make a few comments as we proceed.

In the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, is recorded the same incident we have tried to explain here. In the eleventh verse we read of the remnant which we speak of: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left." Isa. 11:11. Early Writings, page 270: "I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people."

Isa. 11:12, first part: "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations." Again we read in Isa. 66:19, "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations." The 63rd chapter has the same reference as Isaiah 59, part of verse 19, is here quoted: "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun." The "sign" is extensive from the east to the west, and has a meaning for the entire world. The "destruction" is the "sign" and example to the nations, and the "remnant" are those who are left (the 144,000). Following this we have the "Loud Cry" (the harvest): "Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation." Volume 1, page 187. "But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: And in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them: But gather the wheat into my barn." Matt. 13:29, 30.

6. The Feast of Tabernacle in the Kingdom

The same thought is also supported in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 541: "The feast of Tabernacles was not only commemorative, but typical. It not only pointed back to the wilderness sojourn, but, as the feast of harvest, it celebrated the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and pointed forward to the great day of final ingathering, when the Lord of the harvest shall send forth his reapers to gather the tares together in bundles for the fire, and to gather the wheat into his garner. At that time the wicked will all be destroyed." (Those outside the church.) Note that the separation takes place just at the beginning of harvest; also that the tares are gathered in first. The separation marks the beginning of harvest. The harvest is the loud cry of the third angel's message. (Rev. 18:1). In this time of harvest the great multitude (of Rev. 7:9) with the palms in their hands is gathered. While this great multitude is being made up and gathered into His barn, the reapers are binding the wicked in bundles (separated, or kept apart from the church) for the wrath of God. See Rev. 14:19. (1SR 103)

"And it shall," therefore, "come to pass in the last 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 unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will 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. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Isa. 2:2-4. (Read also Isaiah 11:11, 12, 15, 16.)

Additional information!

• The “stem of Jesse” represents the idea that the Messiah would be a descendant of David (son of Jesse). This is why Jesus called Himself “the Root and the Offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16).

• One of the main goals of Jesus was to put an end to sin, apostasy, and rebellion, as well as establishing an everlasting peace. This began with His ministry, death, resurrection, and enthronement. However, it has not finished yet.

• We’re still waiting for the prophecy in Isaiah 11:7-8 to be fulfilled.

E. The Savior. Isaiah 12

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)

1. Christ's Kingdom as Church Triumphant

In the church purified, Christ's Kingdom described in the preceding chapter, God's people will praise Him though He had been angry with them. When was He angry with them? -- When He had to use the Gentile nations to disperse them because of their rebellious and idolatrous ways. When they are brought back into the Kingdom and are comforted, then they will understand all God's dealings and will praise Him for it.

a. Isa. 12:2 -- "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation."

This is the testimony God's people will bear in His Kingdom.

b. Isa. 12:3 -- "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."

Now the Lord speaks. When God's people are safely and peacefully situated in the land of promise; when they bear their testimony of faith and trust in God, then God says that they with joy shall draw water (Truth) out of the wells of salvation.

c. Isa. 12:4 -- "And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted ."

The 144,000 will do this very thing when they go to all nations.

d. Isa. 12:5 -- "Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth."

All the earth is to know of the Lord's excellent things.

e. Isa. 12:6 -- "Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee."

The 144,000 standing on Mt. Zion with the Lamb will cry out and shout for joy.

How plain it is that God is about to do a great thing in the earth that all will know about. Before this message came we were unable to place all of these events, but how clear they are now!

We already learned that with the fall of Assyria God sets up His Kingdom and then Babylon comes on the stage of action. (12SC 1.10}

Further study information:

• Isaiah 12 is a song that Isaiah sang to praise his [and our] Savior. He encouraged us to “make known among the nations what he has done” (v. 4), recalling the song of victory that Moses sang after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15).

• There is a song of victory in Revelation 15 too. In that case, the 144,000 sing a remarkably similar song.

• Jesus is the only source of salvation. He will be our song very soon, when we’ll sing together “the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” (Revelation 15:3)