“While He is Near” – Isa. 55:6

The loud & voluminous voices of the Last Days will be heard worldwide for the nearness of God in the assembly of nations.

Whether by the Two Witnesses (delivered in a prophetic sense), or by the voices of Christ & Angelic Proclaimers who forego the impending battles during the worldwide consummation, the divine challenges were made, and reasons rendered, to wit the whole generation of Jews and Gentiles are fully aware of the mind and intention of God in what is presently or soon to take place. Certainly, some of Isaiah’s prophecies will be fulfilled by the ministry of the Two Witnesses. Even as John the Baptist forewent the appearance of Christ in the 1st Advent (Matt. 3:3, Mk. 1:3, Lk. 3:4-6), only now with the 2nd Advent, the Two Witnesses will prepare the way of the LORD (Isa. 40:3). Comparable to what John did among the Jews in Israel, only this time among the Gentiles worldwide, the Two Witnesses will make the people ready for Christ’s imminent appearance. Yet, this causes one to wonder what could possibly prepare mankind for what is about to take place at the 2nd Advent of Christ (Rev. 11:1-19)? Firstly, let the reader understand that men will be ordained to cry aloud (“the voice of him that crieth” – Isa. 40:3) and lift up their voices (“lift up thy voice with strength” – Isa. 40:9) …and what shall they cry?

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry?” – Isa. 40:6

In no uncertain terms, according to Isaiah, these voices will cry aloud a thorough proclamation describing the consummation (Isa. 40:3-8, 12-26) & the restoration (Isa. 40:9-11, 27-31) that is soon to take place at the appearing of Christ and, thereafter, the establishment of the Messiah’s Kingdom. Speaking of this, the prophets will declare to the Jews, “Behold your God!” (Isa. 40:9), or, “God will come” (Isa. 40:10), and in the enforcing of Christ’s will in the earth (“Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matt. 6:10) the witnessing seers are beholding the totality of Babylon’s World reduced to nothingness and vanity (Isa. 40:6-8, 15-17, 23-24, 41:11-12, 24)! Obviously, according to Isaiah, this climactic moment of the future is the colliding of two kingdoms in a never-before-seen war in which the consummation will take place. Isaiah, himself, is only beholding the events that will be foreseen and declared in conjunction with the early ministry of the Two Witnesses & a later ministry of other voices of proclamation. We, in reading Isaiah, are made to look upon the declarations of the prophetic beholders. Thus, we read of the onlooking prophet, Isaiah, whose countenance beheld other onlooking prophets & proclaimers amidst an ongoing conflict; and, from the onset, the Two Witnesses cry aloud the status of the opposing forces, saying,

“Behold your God!” – Isa. 40:9

“Behold, the nations…” – Isa. 40:15

While it is true that the Two Witnesses will be made to speak thus, according to Isaiah 40, it nevertheless becomes clear that this ongoing verbal engagement recorded by Isaiah in the ongoing chapters includes more people than the limited ministry of the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:3). For, as Isaiah’s prophecies cohesively progress, the nations of the world are brought into audience as the primary recipients of these verbal appeals in a manner that far exceeds the verbal reach of the Two Witnesses. To the shock and astonishment of all, every nation worldwide is directly challenged as the primary subjects of this verbal confrontation! Why? Well, Babylon’s World is holding the Jews captive (and has done so all the days of the Two Witnesses’ prophesying, lasting 1,260 days)! Like Egypt, they refuse to let them go (“Let my people go…” – Ex. 10:3)! Thus, even after the Two Witnesses are raptured into Heaven (Rev. 11:11-13), the LORD will verbally engage all interchangeably: He will speak to the Babylonians about the Jews, and He will speak to the Jews about the Babylonians.

“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.” – Isa. 34:1

“…let them come near; then let them speak; let us come together to judgment” – Isa. 41:1

“produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob” – Isa. 41:21

“Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled…let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.” – Isa. 43:9

“Put Me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” – Isa. 43:26

“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together…” – Isa. 45:20

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together” – Isa. 45:21

“Stand now…if so be thou mayest prevail” – 47:12-13

“All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear” – Isa. 48:14

“Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this” – Isa. 48:16

“Listen, O isles, unto Me; and hearken, ye people, from far” – Isa. 49:1

“Lift up thine eyes round about…” – Isa. 49:18, 51:4-5, 7, 21-22, 52:6-8, 55:3-5, 62:11, 63:1, 65:1-2, 17

“…who will contend with Me? Let us stand together: who is Mine adversary? Let him come near to Me.” – Isa. 50:8

“Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold… Behold…” – Isa. 55:3-5

“Seek ye the LORD while He may be FOUND, call upon Him while He is NEAR” – Isa. 55:6

“…Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for My salvation is NEAR to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.” – Isa. 56:1

Babylon’s brief hour of speaking is over (Isa. 47:1-15, Rev. 13:5-6, Dan. 7:8, 11, 25, 11:36) and now it’s time for another Voice to be heard (Heb. 12:25-29)! Christ, the Prophet like unto Moses (Deut. 18:15-19, Acts 3:22-23), will engage in a verbal contention with all nations in a scenario far greater than what Moses was made to say in the halls and palaces of Egypt. Yet, how does the LORD do it? Moses, in a comparatively weak ministry, could never traverse the nations of earth on this wise so as to collectively garner their attention. He, in a comparatively soft-spoken voice, could never speak in the ears of all nations on this wise so as to settle the score on the world stage. For, when the LORD says, “let us come together” (Isa. 41:1), it is clear that He means, “let us plead together” (Isa. 43:26), and in pleading together He means to settle the score on who is God once and for all. The LORD orchestrates the scenario of “judgment” (Isa. 41:1) wherein any “cause” is pled, and all “reasons” are rendered (Isa. 41:21), to see whether anyone on earth (god or man) may be verbally “justified” (Isa. 43:26). After the combined “counsel” of all is exhausted (Isa. 45:21) and, behold, all are demonstrably unjustified, and, God alone is “justified” (Isa. 43:26), the purpose for which the nations have been brought “near” in “assembly” is settled (Isa. 43:9, 48:14). The divine challenge mandated for the assembly of nations will go unanswered by all because the God of Israel, alone, foretold the events of Day 1,260 to Day 1,335.

“Who hath declared…?” – Isa. 41:26 (Isa. 40:12-14, 26, 41:2, 4, 26, 42:23-24, 43:9, 13, 44:7, 45:21, 63:1)

The shear scale of this verbal engagement is unprecedented. In verbally challenging all nations in Babylon’s World, the LORD will meanwhile and thereafter act in accordance with the full declaration proclaimed in the ears of humanity to wit, the LORD will repeatedly say, “Who hath declared…?” (Isa. 41:26; Isa. 40:12-14, 26, 41:2, 4, 26, 42:23-24, 43:9, 13, 44:7, 45:21, 63:1), even as all that was declared beforehand is presently being done! God, the Challenger, will repeatedly prove the point of the challenge in the words, “Behold” (Isa. 24:1, 26:21, 28:2, 28:16, 29:8, 29:14, 30:27, 32:1, 33:7, 17, 34:5, 35:4, 40:9-10, 15, 26, 41:11, 15, 23-24, 27, 29, 42:1, 9, 43:19, 44:11, 47:14, 48:7, 10, 49:12, 16, 18, 21-22, 50:2, 9, 11, 51:22, 52:6, 13, 54:11, 15-16, 55:4-5, 60:2, 62:11, 65:6, 13-14, 17-18, 66:12, 15), and, “Lift up thine eyes round about…” (Isa. 49:18, 51:4-5, 7, 21-22, 52:6-8, 55:3-5, 60:4-5, 62:11, 63:1, 65:1-2, 17), even as the events are taking place exactly as foretold by none other than the prophets of Jehovah!

“To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?” – Isa. 46:5

In reciting the former things (Isa. 28:21, 41:22, 43:14-19, 46:9-10, 50:2, 51:9-16, 54:9-10, 63:7-64:4) and declaring new things (Isa. 42:9, 43:19, 48:6, Jer. 31:22), such as the world has never seen, all men and especially the Jews will be compelled to worship and declare that Jehovah alone is God and there is “none like [Him]” (Isa. 46:5, 9-10), just as He said of old: “there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me” (Isa. 45:6, 21)! Condescendingly and reasonably, the LORD will verbally propose a contest that will decisively answer one essential question: “Who is God?” (Isa. 41:23). To be victorious, contestants must assume the role of God as Creator, Destroyer, Foreteller, & Restorer; and, in a signature victory to end all ages and silence all contenders, the highly contested fact of the Messiah’s Godhood (Isa. 9:6-7) will be demonstrated in Jesus assuming the proposed roles while in the flesh (Zech. 13:6).

In being the Creator (Isa. 40:12, 21-22, 26, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 18, 48:13, 51:13, 16, 54:16-17, 66:1-2), Christ alone has the power to accomplish the consummation as the Destroyer (Isa. 24:1-16, 34:1-2, 40:6-8, 15-17, 23-24, 41:11-12, 15-16, 25, 42:13-15, 22-25, 43:26-28, 44:25, 45:16, 46:1-2, 47:1-15, 48:22, 49:2, 26, 50:2-3, 9, 11, 51:6, 8, 9-10, 17-23, 59:9-11, 16-19, 60:2, 12, 63:1-6, 10, 64:1-4, 10-12, 65:12-15, 66:6, 14-17, 24)! In being the Foreteller (Isa. 40:21, 41:4, 22-24, 26-29, 42:9, 43:9-13, 44:7-8, 26, 45:4-6, 19, 21, 46:9-11, 48:3-7, 14-16, 66:2, 65:12, 66:4), and having accomplished the consummation with mouth-stopping wonders, Christ will capture the admiration of all men when the worldwide chorus of weepers is made to look upon the final acts of God as the Restorer (Isa. 40:9-11, 29-31, 41:8-10, 13-14, 17-20, 42:8-12, 16-21, 43:1-8, 15-21, 25, 44:1-6, 21-23, 26-28, 45:7-11, 13, 17, 46:3-5, 13, 48:8-12, 20-22, 49:8-13, 18-22, 51:3-5, 11, 14-16, 52:1-2, 6-12, 54:1-17, 55:5, 8-13, 56:1, 57:18-21, 58:8-12, 14, 59:20-21, 60:1-3, 61:1-4, 10-11, 62:1-12, 65:13-25, 66:12-13, 18-23; Ps. 107:40)! All of humanity will be forced to acknowledge that Christ alone, above all other so called gods, said and did what none other could!

“And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” – Isa. 40:5

“The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.” – Isa. 41:5 (the Man of the East, a type of the Man of the North; Isa. 41:2, 25)

“I am the LORD, there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:5-6 (Cyrus, a type of Christ; Isa. 45:1-25)

“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:22

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure:” – Isa. 46:9-10

“The LORD hath made bare His holy Arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” – Isa. 52:10

This verbal challenge of the LORD to all gods on the world stage is astounding in and of itself. Truly! Nevertheless, the performance of all things verbally foretold is even more shocking to the entire world of surviving humanity (“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD.” – Isa. 66:23)! This is a startling and unprecedented wakeup call for the living & the dead! For, it is no less shocking for the dead of Babylon’s World to suddenly wakeup in hell after dying in battle against Diety! …and, I am sure the myriads of hell will be shocked to find their numbers so drastically increased in these days of war! For, according to Isaiah, no small commotion will be made among the inhabitants of hell concerning the dignities of Babylon’s World joining their ranks of greater and lesser torment (Isa. 14:9-19)! Conclusively, above and below (even in the slopes of hell!), the LORD has the last word in the verbal combat that He incited. Such conclusivity as this can be observed in the saying,

“Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.” – Isa. 41:22-24

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” – Isa. 45:7

In out-doing the old in the performance of the new in the sight of all (Isa. 40:5, 49:6, 52:10, 66:16, 23), or, in foretelling & accomplishing the evil and the good (Isa. 41:22-24, 45:7), or, in raising up Babylon and casting her down (in the consummation), and, in casting down the Jews and raising them up (in the regathering & restoration), Christ will be known as the God of the whole earth. With divine reasoning such as this forcibly seizing the consideration of all mankind, all unbelievers will weep in dismay! Especially, I say, in recollecting all the things since Christ began appealing to the nations by bringing them together in nearness to Himself in the engagement of verbal combat: a period of time beginning with the 6th Vial, lasting approximately 75 Days in total. Thus, in being exhaustively pled with and, thereafter, thoroughly dealt with, men will remember what was said at the 6th Vial during and upon the Gathering of the Armies of Babylon’s World (Isa. 41:1, 5, 47:12-13); they’ll remember what was said at the Call and the associated divine pleas & proclamations therein (Isa. 46:12-13, 47:12-13, 48:14, 16, 49:1, 50:8, 51:4-5, 55:3-7, 56:1); they’ll remember what was said upon the total destruction of Babylon’s World in the consummation at Day 1,290 (Isa. 39:1-2, 48:14, 16); and, they’ll see and hear, and forever remember, what will be said during the regathering & restoration from Day 1,290 to Day 1,335 (Isa. 41:21, 43:9, 26, 45:20-21)! For, it is certain (being thoroughly established in divine argumentation), that divine foretelling is essential to the conversion of the Jews to the Messiah (Isa. 48:1-22)!

The foretelling prophecies are so compelling, and so detailed, the unimaginable events of the future have been sufficiently declared from the beginning! A fact so undeniable, it leads to the sound conversion of the Jews. Specifically, because they knew what was going to happen before it happened, and then it happened, thus they’re converted to the LORD! Apparently, this witness will be by the Gentiles of the Gentile Church Age, the Two Witnesses, and much more by Christ alongside the angelic utterances of glorified saints in the Call going to Babylon’s World prior to the invasion of the Armies of Heaven (causing a tumultuous division in the Empire) and thereafter! These details can be observed by diligent readers who simply follow the contours of Isaiah’s prophecies as they progress within the narrative of futurity, namely because it pleased God to win the Jews by the expressed means of divine foretelling (Isa. 48:1-22). Moreover, in it being essential to the conversion of the Jews, it is essential to the establishment of worldwide peace among the heathen as they submit to Christ.

“Hearken unto Me, My people; and give ear unto Me, O My nation: for a Law shall proceed from Me, and I will make My judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on mine arm shall they trust.” – Isa. 51:4-5

Suffice it to say, the world and all the inhabitants thereof (Babylonian & Jew) are brought near to God for a time of divine reasoning, pleading, and judging during the final 75 Days that do forego the 1,000 Year Reign of Christ. In coming near and abiding in the assembly of the world stage like no other time in human history, the LORD demonstrates His “righteousness” and “salvation” before the eyes of all mankind and, in doing so, He has demonstrably brought them “near” (Isa. 51:4-5); namely, the prophecy speaks of God’s righteousness - He has brought it near! The prophecy speaks of God’s salvation - He has brought it near! Yet, what does this signify exactly? My reader, what are the implications of these gracious acts of God to both Gentiles and Jews?

“Hearken unto Me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory.” – Isa. 46:12-13

In coming near, and in bringing righteousness and salvation near to all mankind, the LORD is appealing to those who were, are, or will be “stouthearted” and “far from righteousness”, namely that they would bethink themselves, repent, and seek God for salvation! In coming near, those that are far from God will have a never-before-seen opportunity to be saved! Thus, the LORD will deliver verbal appeals to both Jews & Gentiles while ushering them into the most pivotal moment of salvific illumination since the world began – the Light of the Gentiles – an illumination yet to take place since the consummation.

For, verily, in the Great Tribulation, the Jews experienced their days of humiliation; so that, likewise, in the consummation, when the Gentiles will have just begun to experience their days of humiliation unto tearful submission to the Messiah of the Jews, then begins the final boulevard of unprecedented divine illumination worldwide (“The God of the whole earth shall He be called.” – Isa. 54:5)! Specifically, it’s when the status of the two peoples are utterly reversed! When what befell the Jews, in that they were “afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted” (Isa. 54:11), does also befall the Gentiles, in that they are made to be like “the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isa. 57:20), then the reversal is complete and the stage is set for a Light to shine, called, “a Light to the Gentiles” (Isa. 49:6)! When the cup of drunkenness, given to the Jews (Isa. 51:17-21), is taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles (Isa. 51:22-23); or, when the Jews, who were made to sit in the dust (Isa. 52:2), do arise from the dust while the Gentiles, on the contrary, are made to sit in the dust (Isa. 47:1); or, when the Jews, who were thrust into the silence of darkness (Isa. 49:9), do ascend from the darkness (Isa. 60:1-3) while the Gentiles, on the contrary, are subdued into the silence of darkness (Isa. 47:5), let the reader understand that the time has come! In this moment, because of the shocking reversal of things at hand, a verbal appeal will be made to all mankind (Gentile & Jew), commanding them,

“Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” – Isa. 55:6-7

I repeat, this verbal appeal will be made to both Gentiles & Jews, but of course the Jews will be the first to answer it! How could they forbear? The Jews are God’s witnesses (Isa. 43:9, 12, 44:9, 26). They know what was written of old (Isa. 42:21), the things foretold in ancient times, and thus are witnesses of the biblical veracity of what was foretold and accomplished leading hereunto (Isa. 45:19, 48:16). Can you imagine hearing the word declared from the heavenlies, “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6), as the Jews venture forth from the rubble of the fallen Empire that refused their liberation? Without even realizing the full scope of what has taken place, the Jews will answer the Voice that beckons them, “Go forth”, and, “Shew yourselves” (Isa. 49:9), while the onlooking Gentiles sit in the dust and abide in darkness… not knowing what comes next.