January 14, 2023: Haftorah - Isaiah 27:6-28:13
This week's Haftorah reading is from Isaiah 27:6-28:13. Join Dr. Jeffery Myers as he reveals the description of the new life we will possess when Yeshua comes into His Kingdom, through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah!
Follow along in the AUDIO PODCAST, by clicking on the play button below, and reading along with the notes, as you listen to today's Haftorah:
Lion of Judah Speaks: Haftorah Portion – Isaiah 27:6-28:13
In Isaiah 26 we saw that those who are faithful enter into the strong city of Elohim whose walls are salvation, where perfect shalom is experienced. Isaiah continues with the description of the new life we will possess when Yeshua comes in His Kingdom. This major section, Isaiah 24-27, is a mini apocalypse that prepares Elohim’s people for worship in the Millennial Kingdom, unveiling Elohim’s plan for the future.
Isaiah 27:1,2 and 12,13 begin with “In that day” and in these images we are seeing a new exodus that Yeshua will accomplish, as He did before, for Moses declared that a prophet like himself would rise up and lead the people. What does Elohim want from us? He is looking for a people not just with discernment who know Him and understand the times but He desires a people who love and worship Him in Spirit and in in Truth in unity accordance with His absolute Truth.
As Isaiah 27 begins, Elohim is pictured with a strong, great, and hard sword and wielding that sword against Leviathan, the serpent and dragon. This powerful enemy picture is used to illustrate that the enemy desires to steal, kill, and destroy the people of Elohim. Ezekiel uses the dragon image to speak about Pharaoh over Egypt. Isaiah also refers to Egypt as the dragon. Leviathan is the powerful enemy of Elohim’s people, enslaving them and harming them. Elohim is the dragon slayer…Halleluyah!
Now Isaiah looks forward to the days of King Yeshua and expects the powerful enemy of Elohim’s people to be destroyed again. What is Isaiah looking for Yeshua to do that will be the slaying of the dragon, the punishing of Leviathan? In Revelation 19 Yeshua rides in victoriously on His white horse, destroying all the enemies that are in His path. His robes are covered in blood and from His mouth comes a sharp sword to destroy the enemies. Look what King Yeshua’s power accomplished: Rev 20:2-3, “And He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the 1,000 years were ended.” Satan is the great enemy of Elohim’s people and he is behind the nations that come against them. Satan has always been oppressing and attacking Elohim’s people. But Isaiah prophesied of the days when Yeshua would come and slay the dragon. It’s a new exodus. When we are finally released from our great oppressor, the dragon, who has enslaved us because of our sins. We will finally see the ultimate enemy of Elohim be slain, and we will be completely set free. He who the Son sets free is free indeed! Satan symbolized as mighty Leviathan; the dragon is the Anti-messiah on the earth who represents Satan and will be targeted for destruction.
So, “In that day”, a glorious victorious day, Isaiah now sees a pleasant vineyard and is going to sing of it. The vineyard is identified as Israel. Elohim had planted a beautiful, expensive vineyard and looked for it to bear grapes. However, instead of producing good fruit the vineyard produced wild grapes. Therefore, Elohim said he would destroy the vineyard and lay it waste. But now, “In that day”, the vineyard has been resurrected by the “Keeper of the vineyard”. He waters it every moment. He guards it day and night so that no one may harm it or damage it. Any opponent to Elohim’s people will be fought, trampled, and burned.
Elohim’s expectation is always that spiritual life produces spiritual fruit—the two are inseparable: you cannot claim to be one with the life of Yeshua when there is no evidence of spiritual fruit. John 15:8 says, “But this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” In John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you.” Elohim is glorified by our fruit bearing. We were appointed to go and bear fruit for Yeshua. Isaiah is looking forward to this time when the new Israel in Yeshua is fruitful. What Elohim has cultivated in our lives is to produce something in our hearts and in our actions. Those who experience the new exodus from sin and belong to Elohim’s vineyard are producing fruit to the glory of Abba. Our fruitfulness verifies our place in the vineyard of Adonai.
The choice is ours today—desolation or growth and fruitfulness that impacts our world. Isaiah 27:6 tells us, “In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout; and they will fill the whole world with fruit.” Wow…look at the grace of Elohim! Elohim has not struck Judah like He struck the nations. The other nations were totally and completely destroyed. But not so with Judah. Elohim is remaining faithful to His covenant promises by not completely destroying the nation as it deserved. Yes, the people were removed from the land so that their sins could be removed. Exile was needed to make them remorseful for their sins and teshuvah before Elohim.
Part of the Egyptian exodus and wilderness experience was the eradication of their idols before entering the Promised Land. This future exodus is the same! As we speak, Elohim is removing idols from the hearts of His people and tearing down the altars that they have built with their own hands. Elohim is returning us back to Him, returning us back to our first love, to His ways, His commandments, and His Torah and filling us with His Ruach as we surrender. He wants nothing in our lives that pulls our heart away from Him. This is some of the fruit that we are to be bearing for Adonai. We must examine what idols reside in our hearts and homes and remove them with great diligence. Isaiah 27:9 says, “By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin; when he makes all the altar stones to be like limestone crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing.” The removal of idols is the fruit of atonement. Understand the atonement that Elohim is making for us means that we will shatter the idols in our lives. If we are keeping our idols, then we do not understand the atonement that Elohim has made for us through His Son. We now understand and see our idols as broken cisterns that hold no water and do not satisfy. Your idols are what you trust! If your only hope and trust is not in Elohim, then you have idols that must be destroyed for His atonement.
Elohim is regathering His people; it has been happening physically but it has also been happening spiritually. The shofar has been blown, the scattered are returning, returning to the land, yes, but returning back to Abba, the ancient paths, His Torah. “In that day” in Isaiah 27:12, Isaiah pictures the coming of Yeshua who will thresh out grain throughout the Promised Land. Elohim will go through and gather His people, like a harvest. Those that are false are threshed out of the grain and His people will be gleaned one by one.
All will worship Adonai on His holy mountain. When Yeshua sets up His Kingdom the world is going to gather to Him for worship. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Adonai. King Yeshua’s Kingdom will be a time of great praise and worship in the holiness of Elohim. The Kingdom of Elohim will be on the earth. Matthew 24:30-31 says, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power. And great joy. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a shofar, and they shall gather together His elect from the 4 winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” This shofar is the same spoken by Isaiah!
The world we live in today is so chaotic—the forces of Satan operating with great strength and venom. But it will come to an end! “The Day of Elohim” is coming when the enemy will be brought down. Elohim is transforming people into beautiful, fruitful plants and placing them in His vineyard. Leviathan will be slain! Idols will be destroyed! Fruitfulness will be seen as idols are removed from our hearts and lives because of the new exodus we are experiencing. His kingdom is coming! His will be done! He will be glorified and worshipped by all the earth!
Shabbat Shalom Mishpocha,
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Have a great week and a blessed Sabbath. Continue to bear fruit for His Kingdom! Remove what hinders you! Let His Kingdom rule and reign in your life!
Shalom Aleichem and see you at the altar!