Now, the whole book of Isaiah is a roller coaster, of sorts, of judgment and chastisement and blessing. Judgment and blessing; over and over. But, the whole thing is looking forward to three major periods of time when the nation of Israel would come under intense judgment or chastisement. The first time period is the one that was just only a hundred years beyond Isaiah, and that would be in 606 BC. Isaiah writes at 700 BC, so it's about a hundred years earlier. Again, that's a reminder that God's wheels turn ever so slowly. Here's Isaiah prophesying what's going to be coming upon the nation of Israel, but it doesn't really reach fruition for a hundred years.


So, that's again why I always temper our excitement for the Rapture. Yes, I think it's close, but on the other hand, God's wheels turn so much slower than we think they should that we can't just rest and say, "Oh well, the Lord's coming next week -- so what." I'll never forget a fellow wrote from Pennsylvania a couple of springs ago and he said, "Les, I was just getting ready to plant an apple tree and then it struck me. Why should I, the Lord's coming!" I said, "You go ahead and plant it because we don't know that He's going to come that soon." We hope He does, but He may not.


So, anyway, Isaiah is prophesying primarily now