Isaiah begins by saying that the burden of Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amos, did see, says, Lift up a banner upon the high mountain of Galk, the voice unto them, shake the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded My sanctified ones I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains like as of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together. The Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle." If you recall, as we have studied thus far, some of this language is very, very much like the language that God used against the nation of Israel and Judah when he is talking about bringing this very people, the Babylonians, the Chaldeans, against His own people. If you've studied this, especially in the books of, like in the book of Jeremiah, this language never changes in judgment. But here we need to remember it's speaking concerning Babylon, the very nation that God is going to use to Punish Judah is going to be punished in the very same way. Now, of course, we know that that is one of the laws that God set forth, isn't it? That is His ordained way. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. He that bears the sword or wheels, the sword shall also die by the sword. And so it is going to be that way with Babylon. And here's, again, the sovereignty of God is so much in play here. It's so visible here. Look what he says again in verse 2, "...lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles." In other words, when God signifies that it's time for something to be done, it is such a drawing power that nothing is going to hinder it, nothing is going to get in the way of it. Contrarywise, what is it that we find concerning the lifting up of Christ? Here is that irresistible, what we call in our circles, irresistible grace. And if I be lifted up, might draw men unto me? No. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw men unto me. It is an irresistible force. Well, it works with God. This power, this sovereignty of His almighty power, it works both in punishment of the wicked and in redemption of his people. All he has to do is lift up a banner. Now, to see this again, all we have to do is go back to our previous study. And we see in verse 12, for instance, in chapter 10, And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. So when he lifts up, and this is what it signifies, when he lifts up that ensign or that banner, Those that it is meant for are going to come to that banner or that ensign, and they are going to perform the work of the Lord. It doesn't matter which side they're on, they're going to perform the will of God. Babylon? Why were they successful against God's people? It's because of the power of God. Why was Sennacherib the Assyrian, why was he not successful? Because of the power of God. Everything depends upon the power of God and the will of God. I've said this years ago, and I continue to say it. There's one thing that you don't have to ever be concerned about as to whether or not it's going to prosper, and that is the will of God. You don't ever have to be concerned whether or not God's will is going to be done. Because the truth is, it will never fail. He raised up Pharaoh, didn't he? For what purpose? To show his mighty power in him. Why does he raise us up? to show His mighty power. But it's two different powers. It's not really two different powers, but there's two different aspects of that power. There's two different purposes in that power. We see that in Romans 9. It is so clearly marked out in Romans 9. In verse 22, it says, "...what if God, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath headed to destruction, Here is the negative side of it. But verse 23 says, "...and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." requires the power of God. But when that power is unleashed, if I can put it in those terms, it will always accomplish His purpose. Again, the preaching of the gospel has twofold purpose, doesn't it? According to Paul in 2 Corinthians 2, It has a twofold purpose. But even in Isaiah, we see that it has a twofold purpose. Most people only think that the preaching of the gospel is one-sided. In other words, oh, the gospel is just supposed to save people. The Word of God is only supposed to save people. Well, we've already read back in Isaiah chapter 6 that that's not so easy. But for instance, in Isaiah chapter 55, In verse 8, he says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish," what? "...that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I said it." Many are called, but few are chosen. Why? Because that's the purpose of God. Because all are sinners, but He chooses to have mercy on some. And so He sends forth His Son to bear the penalty of the sins of his people. But all right, we see then the sovereignty of God in his almighty power being carried out. a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones." Sanctified? You mean these people are sanctified? Well, what does the term sanctified mean? It just means they're set apart for a specific purpose too, right? And so these people that are going to come against Babylon, that are going to, as it were, create the burden of Babylon, carry out the burden of Babylon, they are a sanctified people unto the Lord God has set them apart for this specific purpose. And who was that people, by the way? The Medes and the Persians. Well, why not the Egyptians? Why did they not come and conquer Babylon? They weren't the sanctified ones, were they? But do you understand this term sanctified? As it applies, for instance, to me, as it applies to you, as it applies to us, the church. Do you understand what it means? Because just as surely As these people, the Medes and the Persians, were set aside to carry out the purpose of God against the Babylonians, so also you and I, if we are His true people, we have been sanctified. J.T. read something about that this morning, 1 Peter chapter 1, didn't he? In verse 2. We are sanctified for what? To carry out the purpose of God. And what is that purpose? Well, it is to worship Him, isn't it? And serve Him. We are just as much the servants of God as the Medes and the Persians were the servants of God. Or maybe we should turn it around and say that the Medes and the Persians were just as much the servants of God in that particular purpose as you and I are the servants of God. But the point is that to be sanctified is to be set aside unto God for a specific purpose. Now, the Medes and the Persians then are going to do exactly what God intends for them to do. But again, why are they going to do that? Do they have a choice, brother Jerry? No? Why not? All right. Because God said so, right? No, they don't have a choice in it. Now, let's don't mistake this. They think they do. Right? Just like the people of old times. The brother of Abel, the firstborn, as far as we know at least, of Adam and Eve, Cain thought that he had a choice, right? But he didn't have a choice. Because, Brother Marvin, all things are ordained of God, right? They're all ordained of God. It doesn't matter what it is. Everything that is, has always been as far as God is concerned. Was the old writer, Proverbs say, nothing new under the sun. That which is, is already. Then there's nothing new under the sun. And so here's what God is doing with the Medes and the Persians. And also, by the way, He not only ordained this, but He even ordained one of the kings of the Persians to do what? To rebuild what the Babylonians had torn down and named them. Now, Brother Dale, you might correct me on this, but it seemed like it was nearly 200 years before. They were there 70 years. But the prophecy, if memory serves me right, the prophecy concerning was about 200 years before it actually took place. But God named Cyrus 200 years before he did what he did. Marvelous. Marvelous. But anyway, We're seeing this. Well, let's go on then. Let's see what God is going to do. Verse 4 says, "...the noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together. The Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle." Now, once more, We are not just concerned with Babylon at this particular point. We are concerned with Babylon all the way down to the very end of time. And this prophecy right here in verse 4 concerning the gathering of the kingdoms of nations together is a prophecy also concerning the very destruction of mystery Babylon. It's amazing how that God uses history to accomplish the future. Have you ever heard the expression that history repeats itself? There's a good reason why it does. You know, it's one of the marvelous things about our own times right now. it seems like history would teach us something. But instead of it teaching us so that we don't make those mistakes, what are we doing? We're repeating the same mistakes. Now, this is one of the reasons why I see in the history of what we would term today the Gentile church, I see a repeat of the history of Israel. In other words, what Israel did, the church has repeated in its history, the Gentile church. I see them walking side by side, as it were, It's almost like the Gentile church goes back into the history or the times of Israel and just makes the same mistakes all over again. But in this gathering together of the nations, in Revelation 16, In verse 12 it says, And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates. And by the way, where was Babylon situated? On the Euphrates, right? And again, if you study this in the other books like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, you will find that the Euphrates River plays a very prominent role. He poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Verse 16, and to gather them together into a place that in the Hebrew tongue, that is a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Now, let me just quickly make one statement here. I don't believe what a lot of these people believe, that there's going to be this battle in the valley of Megiddo with 200 million people. I don't believe you can get 200 million people in there, first of all. The whole land of Israel wouldn't hold 200 million people if you stacked them up on top of one another. But there is going to be this great day of God wherein the final judgment is going to come upon this world and the wickedness of it. And this is a good description. of that day and age. In chapter 17 of the Revelation, concerning specifically mystery, Babylon the Great, as it's denoted in verse 5, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, there is a gathering together here And that gathering together is to indeed destroy Mystery Babylon. So what Isaiah is prophesying concerning political Babylon in the days of the Old Testament are going to be carried out again in the destruction of mystery, Babylon. Verse 5, Isaiah 13, verse 5, they come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord. They come, yes, they come from who? From the Lord. You see that? They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord. Now, it doesn't say from in there, but that's what is implied, that they are coming from the Lord. Now, again, if you want to see a parallel to this, at least the establishment of the principle of it, you can go back to 1 Kings 21 and read there how that God persuaded Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead and there to be killed. If you want to see a New Testament version of this, then read the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians, where God says, ìI will send them a strong delusion.î Now, this is one of the fallacies, again, of our day, is that people think, well, God does the good things, and who's responsible for the other? Devil all day. No, God wouldn't do that, right? But He says specifically, I create the good and the evil, right? I kill and I make alive. He does both of them. All things are in the hand of God. But see, why is it that people don't want to accept the fact that God judges? They don't want to be judged for their sins. They don't want to face the reality of sin and its consequences. And they will not confess that God is righteous in that judgment. We see this so clearly in the Jews as Paul would describe them in Romans chapter 10. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, or toward God, but not according to knowledge. For they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. They, going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. It's from the Lord. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord. and the weapons of his indignation to destroy the whole land." Now we're going to see a little bit about how great the burden is. This is the burden, but how great is that burden? And I say we're going to see a little bit about it because how are we going to see the whole thing? How are we going to fully comprehend this? The only way that you can fully comprehend it is to be there. You understand what I mean? You have to be there. It's the same way with this as it is with the glory of God. The only way that you can fully appreciate the glory of God, or glory in the glory of God, is to be a partaker of it. But there are words. And as J.T. said this morning, there is the Spirit of God that will teach us some of these things, at least to the degree that God intends for it to be. But in verse 6, he begins to describe how terrible this burden, this judgment is going to be. And here's what he says. How? How ye? For the day of the Lord is at hand, it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. It is going to come for the purpose of destruction. How ye? What in the world? What does it mean, the how? How can you describe it? It is a moaning, a bemoaning. that rises, we, at least some of us, know something about this. As you have listened to the coyotes, if you've ever heard the wolves, if you've heard the dogs that wail at the sound of a siren because it's so painful to the ears of those dogs, But it's a noise that rises even to the heavens. And it's filled with anguish and pain and sorrow, sadness. It's an awful, it's an awful time. How ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand, it shall come as destruction, or for the purpose of destruction, from thee Almighty." Once again, this is not the devil's doings. How many of you think that Satan ever punishes someone for sin? No. Yes. You're right. He puts a star up there by your name every time, doesn't he? Yeah. How many of you think that Satan ever convicts someone of sin? That is contrary to His nature. And it's contrary to His purpose. A house divided against itself, what happens to it? It won't stand, will it? Contrarywise again, on the other side of the fence, what does James say concerning God? He is not tempted with evil, neither tempted he who? Any man. But ye are tempted of your own selves, right? Who's going to blame God? Brother Marvin, was it you that was telling me that you knew someone that knew, I believe it was Brother Marvin, that was telling me they knew a preacher that made the statement that God was the author of sin? Or was it something to that effect? Was that you? I thought it was. What a statement to make! But he's not the author of sin, is he? He cannot be. But on the other hand, Satan cannot be the author of righteousness either. Now, going back to this term Babylon, what does the term Babylon mean? Confusion, right? It's confusion. Well, you know, my Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14 that God is not the author of what? Confusion. And so Babylon stands for everything that is opposite of and opposed to God. And it's been that way ever since Nimrod founded it shortly after the time of the flood. It's confusion. God, though, is not the author of confusion, but He is the author of what? Peace. But you know, everywhere that you find confusion, are you going to find peace? No. But everywhere you find peace, you're not going to find confusion either, are you? The two cannot walk together. How can two walk together except they be agreed, right? So here we see, how then? For the day of the Lord is at hand, and it cometh as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt, and they shall be afraid. Pains and sorrows shall take hold of them. They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth. They shall be amazed one at another. Their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate, and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." That's ultimately then the purpose of the whole thing, isn't it? It is to destroy the sinners. And so we find that told to us Even more precisely, again, in the book of the Revelation, right? In chapter 21, in verse 7, it says, "...and he that overcometh shall inherit..." There's that word again, J.T. "...he shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my Son, The fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burned with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." So there is not any of this going to be found in the New Jerusalem. that John has seen coming down out of heaven from God in this twenty-first chapter in verse one and two. But in chapter twenty-two, Revelation chapter twenty-two, verse ten, And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. Now remember in chapter 6 of Isaiah, Isaiah's question was, Lord, how long? And we looked at some other verses of Scripture where the saints have wondered this all down through the centuries, right? Lord, how long? Well, yeah, we're still wondering, but here's the answer, isn't it? For the time is at hand. And let's see what he says. And he that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life." Now where do we first see the tree of life? Way back over in Genesis 2, right? "...that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and adulterers, and whosoever loveth, and maketh a lie." So here is then the separation, isn't it? Here's the whole purpose of it, is to destroy the sinners. It is to separate the precious and the vile. The sheep, the goats. It's to separate the righteous from the unrighteous. It is ultimately to cleanse all of God's holy creation. Abraham looked for a city whose foundations are God, a city wherein dwells righteousness. Folks, that's what it's all coming down to. Isaiah knows exactly. He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened and is going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine, and I will punish..." Who? Who is He going to punish? The world. Wait a minute, I thought this was talking about Babylon. I thought it was the burden of Babylon. It is the burden of Babylon. But how often are we going to see this turn to the burden, really, of the whole world? Well, we're out of time, and I think maybe that's a good place for us to stop right there this afternoon, and hopefully