October 1, 2025: Isaiah 49:26 - I Am the Mighty One of Jacob

“And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” - Isaiah 49:26

Little did I know that when I first began writing about the 49th chapter of Isaiah in May 2024, that it would take me this long to get through it. Praise God that He led me to write these devotional messages on it, for I have learned so much by doing an in-depth study of it, through the power of His Holy Spirit! I am blessed by Him to be able to share these devotionals. Though I may not have everything right about these devotionals, I am truly doing my best to read and study God’s word and write about how it relates to what is happening in our world that we live in. I am happy to share them with you, and I am sure it has been a struggle to get through them, given their increasing length.

As I begin writing this devotional message on July 19, 2025, much is happening in our world that truly seems to be aligning with Bible prophecy, particularly to what is described as the Day of the Lord, the 7-year time period known as the time of Jacob’s trouble, and also referred to as the tribulation period, with the last 3-1/2 years called the Great Tribulation. I truly believe we are just mere days away from the beginning of this time period, a time not ever known to mankind nor ever will be again. A time where men will want to die but will not be able to. A time when all who have put their trust in gold, silver, crypto currency, presidents, prime ministers, their preps, their underground bunkers, and in anything else, will learn that nothing came save them from the wrath of Almighty God. The only One who can save us from what is coming is Jesus Christ, and oh, how I pray that if you are reading this, that you are saved by putting your faith and trust in Him alone to save you. Only He can save you from your sins, and we are all sinners, each and every single one of us. We can never be “good” enough to save ourselves; only Jesus can save us. For those who do not believe this, who deny Jesus is the Christ, the Bible tells us that they are not only liars but are also antichrist:

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” (1 John 2:22-23)

Those who deny Jesus is the Christ are antichrist, a type of antichrist. The Strong’s Greek concordance tells us that an “antichrist” is “an adversary (or opponent) of the Messiah, the Anointed-One.” (See: https://biblehub.com/greek/500.htm) While they are not the coming final antichrist, who is also known as the beast of the sea, or the beast, in the book of Revelation, they are antichrist because they deny that Jesus is the Christ. The apostles John and Paul tell us that the final antichrist is still to come:

“Little children, it is the last time [hour]: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time [hour].” (1 John 2:18)

“Now we beseech [ask] you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand [had come]. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth [is restraining] that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery [hidden truth] of iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work: only he who now letteth will let [restrains will do so], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked [Lawless One] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit [breath] of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness [unrighteous deception] in [among] them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a [the] lie: that they all might be damned [condemned] who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)

The book of Revelation tells us some of the character traits of the final antichrist, who will be given power by Satan. Satan is called the “dragon” in this book:

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat [throne], and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were [if it had been] wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after [marvelled at] the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power [authority] unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:1-10)

Notice in the Scriptures above (Revelation 13:5), that it says that the beast was given power, by the dragon/Satan, “to continue forty and two months.” However, when I looked up the word “continue” in the Greek, it does not say “continue.” This may be an incorrect translation of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. The Greek word is “poiēsai” and means “To make, to do, to act, to cause, to work.” (See: https://biblehub.com/greek/4160.htm) I do believe that this is referring to the last 3-1/2 years of the time of Jacob’s trouble. However, I do believe, as many other believers in Jesus Christ do, that this final antichrist is also mentioned in the book of Daniel, and it is he who will sign a covenant “with the many” for a period of one week, which is seven years. Thus, the antichrist comes onto the scene when he signs the covenant with the many for one week. This time period is also known as the “70th week,” which is the last seven years of the time period for Israel before Jesus Christ returns at His second coming:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)

As I previously mentioned, the seventieth week, or the last seven years, is the time period when the final antichrist will “confirm the covenant with many for one week,” (Daniel 9:27) which I believe includes, and is focused on, Israel. I also believe it will include Israel’s enemies. Daniel doesn’t tell us that the antichrist will make a covenant with the many but will confirm it. To confirm the covenant means to make it stronger; thus, a prior version of it must already exist. (See: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1396.htm) I wrote about this in my prior devotional that I strongly believe it will be Donald J. Trump who will broker this confirming of the covenant, which will be a strengthening of the existing Abraham Accords. I do not know of anyone else who fits the criteria of the coming final antichrist except him. I do not know of anyone else in whom Israel will trust in confirming the Abraham Accords than Donald Trump.

While Donald Trump has spoken publicly about Jesus Christ, he has denied that he needs Jesus Christ to save him from all his sins. When he was asked by a CNN reporter if he ever asked God to forgive him of all his actions (sins), his response was: (See: https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/)

“I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so,” he said. “I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”

His words do not sound like someone who has accepted the fact that each and every single one of us is a sinner, and that we all need the Savior, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins. This does not sound like a man who acknowledges that it is Jesus Christ alone who can save us and wash us clean of all our sins by His precious, sinless blood. There is absolutely nothing that we can do to save ourselves from our sins. There is no work good enough, or better enough, that can save us. If we deny this truth, then we are denying Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sent by God to save us from our sins. I believe Donald Trump’s words about Jesus Christ are just pandering to those who voted for him so that they will continue to support him and his policies. Let us compare Donald Trump’s thoughts about him not being a sinner in need of the Savior, to what Jesus Himself said about salvation:

“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (Jesus Christ; John 3:3)

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light [the light] is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth [practises] evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved [exposed]. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (Jesus Christ; John 3:14-21)

“…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:6)

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given unto the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” (Jesus Christ; John 5:22-27)

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jesus Christ; John 6:40)

Let us read what else the Bible teaches about sin and salvation from it. It tells us that the Law, which God gave to His people, Israel, cannot save anyone, for we all fall short of it. In short, it means that we can never be “good enough” to save ourselves. That is why God sent Jesus Christ, to fulfill the Law, and that by His grace - not by good deeds or works - we are saved:

“And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned [studied]? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man do his will, he shall know of [concerning] the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his [God’s] glory that sent him [Jesus], the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” (John 7:15-19)

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 5:17-18)

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without [apart from] the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come [fall] short of the glory of God; being justified freely [without any cost] by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [mercy seat] through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:19-26)

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:1-4)

“But what saith it? The word is nigh [near] thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed [put to shame]. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)

In the Scriptures above from Romans, and in the Scriptures below, the apostle Paul wrote about grace through faith, and that it is faith alone in Jesus and not good works that can save us. But Paul did not always believe this truth. Paul was a Jewish man and a Pharisee, a religious leader, who aggressively persecuted Christians until Jesus revealed Himself to Paul through a light shining from heaven one day when Paul was traveling on the road to Damascus. In fact, Paul was headed to Damascus to find Christians who were spreading the gospel, the good news of salvation of sins by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to hunt them down, bind them, and bring them back to Jerusalem. The Bible even tells us that Paul “was breathing out threatenings and slaughter [murder] against the disciples of the Lord.” (Acts 9:1) On the road to Damascus, Paul, who at that time was called “Saul,” was asked by Jesus this question: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4). I think it is important to read Paul’s response to Jesus and what happened afterward:

“And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they [the men who were with Saul] led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil [harm] he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been [something like] scales: and he received sight forthwith [at once], and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat [food], he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ [this Jesus is the Christ].” (Acts 9:5-22)

If there was any Jewish man that the Jews did not expect to believe in Jesus, putting his faith and trust in Him alone to be saved, it very well could have been Paul. Before having his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul persecuted Christians, who at that time were called people of “the way.” Paul even consented to the stoning death of Stephen, the first martyr of Christ (Acts 8:1). Paul was hated by the Jews and, as Jesus said would happen, he suffered many things because of his love for Jesus and for his faithfulness to Him. God protected Paul in many situations, for it was through Paul that the majority of the books of the New Testament were written through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us read what Paul wrote about how we must be saved:

“And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation [conducted ourselves] in times past in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made us alive] together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:1-9)

Paul makes it very clear that good works cannot save us; rather, it is the free gift of God by His grace, through our faith in Jesus Christ alone. Can you imagine being saved by anything that we ourselves could do? Can you imagine what a brag fest that would be? It would be something like, “Well, I am saved because I went to college and received four degrees in theology.” “I am saved because I went to church every Wednesday and Sunday,” or “I tithed to my church and gave to the poor,” or maybe something like “I never had an evil thought cross my mind.” Did you notice a pattern there? It’s all about “I” and what “I” did, and not what Jesus did for us. It is only by putting our faith in Jesus’ precious and sinless blood and what He did for us that we can be saved from all of our sins. That is why Paul wrote “lest any man should boast,” because he knew that if we could save ourselves, we would brag about it, and that is pride. What does the Bible tell us about pride? God hates it. It was Satan’s pride that caused his fall. Isaiah 14 discusses the fall of Satan, also called “Lucifer”:

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides [lowest depths] of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

When the final antichrist comes, and I do believe that time is coming very soon, he will be a boastful man, a man who likes to brag about himself. Daniel the prophet and the apostle Paul wrote about the coming final antichrist, who is also referred to by Daniel as the “little horn”:

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped [trampled] the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse [different] from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things [pompous words].” (Daniel 7:7-8)

“And he shall speak great words [pompous words] against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think [intend] to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:25)

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

The final antichrist, also called “the beast of the sea” and “the beast,” is described by John the apostle in chapter 13 of the book of Revelation. John explicitly tells us that it will be Satan, who in Revelation 12:9 is also called the dragon, the serpent, and the Devil, who will give power to the beast. I know we read this earlier in this devotional, but let’s read the words of John the apostle again:

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power [authority] was given him over all kindreds [tribes], and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.” (Revelation 13:5-9)

The Bible is clear that the coming antichrist will have a big mouth, he will be full of pride, he will blaspheme God, and he will make war with those who believe in Jesus Christ and have put their faith and trust in Him alone to save them. Antichrist will be allied with his sidekick, who is called the “beast of the earth” and the “false prophet.” The false prophet will require everyone to worship the antichrist/beast and to take something that identifies them as belonging to antichrist:

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power [authority] of the first beast before him [in his presence], and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders [signs], so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had [was granted] power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life [breath] unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond [slave], to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save [except] he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:11-18)

The Bible tells us that during Israel’s 70th week, the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, two-thirds of Israel will die, but God will save a one-third remnant of them. It will be that remnant who finally turns to Jesus, finally believing that He IS their Messiah that was written about in the Scriptures of old. He IS their Messiah whom the prophets wrote about long ago. Though the unholy trinity of Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet will seek to destroy all of Israel, God will protect His remnant.

I think we are seeing the crescendo of the nations that will come against Israel in the last days before Jesus returns to earth. I believe we are on the cusp of Israel being strong-armed into signing the covenant that will end up dividing their land, the land that God gave to them but it is God who owns the deed to the land; it is His land. This covenant may be some version of Israel’s “Abraham Shield Plan,” which is an expansion of the existing Abraham Accords. Israel has created a website called “Coalition for Regional Security” (See: https://abrahamshield.org/en/) that describes its plan. I do not think it is any coincidence that on the main page of this site, it has six key principles for the plan. In the Bible, the number six (6) represents the number of man, and I think this fully demonstrates that Israel is depending on themselves and in men whom they believe they can trust in order to obtain “peace and security” with its neighbors, instead of depending on Almighty God. In June 2025, billboards were seen in Tel Aviv advertising this new plan, and who is placed in the middle of twelve men? It is none other than Donald Trump, with Benjamin Netanyahu on one side and the current Syrian president on the other side. (See: https://mronline.org/2025/07/08/the-abraham-shield-israels-new-blueprint-for-regional-control-after-gaza/)

It is during the time of Jacob’s trouble that God will eliminate all of Israel’s military might so that it will see that the only One who can protect them is Him. For far too long, Israel has made horrible deals with its enemies that have come back to haunt them, particularly when Israel has been willing to give up its land in order to obtain “peace,” such as what happened when it gave up its land in the Gaza Strip.

We are quickly approaching the time of Jacob’s trouble, also called the Day of the Lord, that includes the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, the second coming of Jesus Christ, and I believe it also includes the subsequent 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ, followed by the time when He resurrects every single person who died in their sins and judges them, and they all will be cast into the eternal lake of fire.

During the time of Jacob’s trouble, the Gentile nations will surround Jerusalem, as we are told in the book of Zechariah:

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome [very heavy] stone for all people [peoples]: all that burden themselves with it [would heave it away] shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:1-3)

Let us pause here for a moment and consider what we just read. Now, compare that to what is being reported in the headlines recently. At the United Nations High-level International Conference regarding a two-state solution in New York City on July 28, 2025, let us read from the “OPENING SPEECH BY MR. JEAN-NOËL BARROT, MINISTER FOR EUROPE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DURING THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE HIGH-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION”: (See: https://onu.delegfrance.org/the-prospect-of-two-states-whose-rights-are-recognized-and-respected-is-in)

“It is a call to the Israeli government. Listen to the indignation that is swelling around the world. Grasp the hand that is being offered to you to get out of this deadlock. Open your eyes to the aspirations of your neighbours to live in peace and security with you. Call a ceasefire. Lift the humanitarian blockade on Gaza. Lift the financial blockade on the Palestinian Authority. Abandon all annexation plans. That is in the interests of the Israel and its security.”

This call will only grow louder and wider in the world, and at some point, Israel is going to bend and will agree to this disastrous solution, which I believe is the confirmation of the covenant in Daniel 9:27. On August 7, 2025, Donald Trump stated on his TruthSocial account: (See: https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/trump-says-all-must-join-abraham-accords-for-mideast-peace-now-that-iran-nukes-obliterated/ar-AA1K5qeZ)

“Now that the nuclear arsenal being ‘created’ by Iran has been totally OBLITERATED, it is very important to me that all Middle Eastern Countries join the Abraham Accords.

“This will insure PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.”

The Bible makes it very clear that there will be no peace for Israel, and the world for that matter, until after Jesus returns at His second coming. And, that peace is only for those who have put their faith and trust in Him to save them; the Bible makes it clear that there will be no peace for the wicked. Wicked men and women are ruling and will continue to rule the world until Jesus returns, and there will be no peace for them:

“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:20-21)

“The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. [Meditation] Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.” (Psalm 9:15-20)

We have seen this call for peace in the Middle East intensify after Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a controversial plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go further into the Gaza Strip and seize Gaza City. This action was met with outcries against it, by both those living in and outside of Israel. We will see what the fallout is in the coming months, but thus far, there has been a massive outcry against Israel, and it continues to grow.

On July 25, 2025, ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2025, during which the concept of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine was discussed, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that at the September meeting, France plans “to recognize a Palestinian State.” In addition, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada “supports a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.” (See: https://www.jns.org/un-two-state-solution-event-to-go-ahead-sans-us-israel/) As of September 13, 2025, 142 countries, including France and Canada, formally recognized Palestine as a state, with 10 opposed, including Israel and the USA. The 142 countries also support a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. (See: https://forward.com/fast-forward/771238/un-general-assembly-palestine-gaza-israel/) As of September 25, Israel and the USA are not in agreement to the proposed two-state solution. Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly on this subject on Friday, September 26, 2025, with nearly all of those present walked out.

If we believe the Bible is the word of God and what He says is true, and I truly do, we know that the world will come against Israel, and specifically Jerusalem, in the days, weeks, and months ahead. There is coming a time when the final antichrist will sign the “covenant with many” as written in Daniel 9:27, which I believe includes Israel. I also believe this is the “covenant with death” that is discussed in Isaiah 28:15-18 and which God will annul. I believe there will be intense pressure put on Israel, and it will come to a head when the USA stands with the many nations to support the two-state solution in order to bring “peace and security” to the world. During Donald Trump’s meeting with Arab leaders, Trump revealed what he is calling the “Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Middle East.” (See: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/trumps-grand-plan-for-israel-palestine-deal-21-point-gaza-peace-plan-hostage-release-palestinian-incentives-and-future-state-roadmap/articleshow/124180577.cms) On September 28, 2025, The Jerusalem Post reported that this plan includes: (See: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-868776)

“Most significantly, the plan proposes a pathway toward the creation of a Palestinian state, conditional upon reforms and a successful reconstruction process.”

On Monday, September 29, 2025, Trump and Netanyahu gave a press conference together, during which Trump discussed his revised now 20-point plan named the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.” Israel accepted the plan on Monday. However, Hamas has not yet responded to or accepted it as of September 30, 2025. The Times of Israel reported the following on Trump’s plan: (See: https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-unveils-gaza-peace-plan-hailing-backing-from-israel-arab-and-muslim-states/)

“‘This is a big, big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the great days ever in civilization,’ Trump declared at the start of his remarks. ‘I’m not just talking about Gaza… We’re talking about much beyond Gaza. The whole deal — everything getting solved. It’s called peace in the Middle East. So today is a historic day for peace.’”

“He highlighted the support he had received for the plan from the leaders of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. ‘We’re relying on the countries that I named and others to deal with Hamas.’

“Those countries would ostensibly be part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) that the Trump plan envisions will immediately deploy in Gaza once the deal comes into place. That force will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, the plan states.”

The Times of Israel also included a report containing the full text of the press conference, during which Trump stated the following: (See: https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-closest-weve-ever-come-full-text-of-trump-netanyahu-statements-on-deal-to-end-gaza-war/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site)

“So today is a historic day for peace. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have just concluded an important meeting on many vital issues, including Iran, trade, the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and most importantly, we discussed how to end the war in Gaza. But it’s just a part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East, and let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.”

How many times have we heard the world proclaim that if only Israel will give up more of the land that God gave to them, then will it have peace and security, peace and safety. However, God’s word is clear: peace and safety will only come to Israel when it finally turns to its true Messiah, Jesus the Christ, at His second coming.

While I do not know exactly how all of this will play out, I do know that Israel will go through their 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, and so will the rest of the world. However, at the end of it, Jesus will save a remnant of Israel. I also know that those who turn to Jesus Christ during this time, who likely will be martyred for their faith in Him, will spend their eternity with Jesus. The remnant of Israel that is saved won’t be saved by Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, or any other earthly man but God Himself:

“The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, and the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:7-9)

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof [split in two] toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” (Zechariah 14:1-5)

“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:9)

“And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall consume [decay] away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes [sockets], and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult [panic] from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold [seize] every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents [camps], as this plague. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:12-16)

Based on my understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe the above Scriptures are referring to the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble. During this 7-year time of trouble, those who have not been saved by putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, whose names are not written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) book of life, will worship the antichrist, and they also will take his mark, his name, or the number of his name on their right hand or their forehead (Revelation 13). This will doom them forever, and they will spend their eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone because they will choose sin over salvation by Jesus Christ.

The antichrist will be so full of pride that he, the false prophet, and Satan will believe that they can win the war against Jesus, but they will not. The word of God tells us that they will lose the war against Him, when God Himself, Jesus the Christ, returns to earth at His second coming. As we previously read from Revelation chapters 16 and 19, they will gather against Jesus, believing they can destroy Him, there are similar Scriptures in the book of Joel chapter 3. However, as the prophet Joel tells us, it is God who will gather them. In Joel 3, the name of the place where God will gather them, valley of Jehoshaphat, is different than what is in the book of Revelation, Mount Megiddo. While I do not know exactly why this is and if they are in fact representing the same place, or if they are gathered in two different places, I do know that it is God who gathers them, and it is God who judges them, to their eternal peril. In fact, the name “Jehoshaphat” means Jehovah-judged. (See: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3092.htm) Let us read that Scripture again from Joel that tells us what happens to those who part His land and let us read further what God says about this time that is coming:

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity [captives] of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead [enter into judgment] with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:1-2)

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles [nations]; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen [nations], and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press [winepress] is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining [diminish their brightness]. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope [a shelter] of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.” (Joel 3:9-17)

Notice in the Scriptures above from Joel 3:1-2 that God says that He will enter into judgment with all nations when He brings them to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for His people Israel, whom the nations have scattered and who have “parted my land.” The land of Israel was given to Israel by God, and it is no one’s land to part except His. May that be a cautionary word to all today who seek to divide His land, the land of Israel, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, and all world leaders who seek to divide it.

The above Scriptures from the book of Joel chapter 3 are similar in wording to what is written in the book of Revelation, when Jesus Christ takes His sickle and reaps the grapes of wrath upon a wicked and Christ-rejecting world:

“And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture [full strength] into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience [steadfastness] of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:6-12)

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden [trampled] without [outside] the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:14-20)

“And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” (Revelation 16:19)

Let us read again from Revelation 19:15 how Jesus will tread the winepress at His second coming:

“And out of his [Jesus’] mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15)

Let us also read something I have included previously in other devotionals on Isaiah 49, and that is from Isaiah 63, which also speaks of Jesus treading the winepress on all who loved sin over salvation, darkness over light. Isaiah 63 is written in a question and answer format, where one is asking the question and the other, Jesus, is answering the questions. Jesus is the one that comes from Bozrah, and He alone will save the remnant of His people Israel:

“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat [winepress]? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-6)

In the book of Revelation, at Jesus’ second coming, we read about what will happen to the antichrist and the false prophet. It also tells us what will happen to all who follow them and are gathered with them to stand and make war against Jesus the Christ and His army with Him:

“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him [Jesus] that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:19-21)

God’s word is simply amazing to me in how it all fits together. Let us take a look back at some of the things Isaiah chapter 49 has taught us. Before I began this study in Isaiah 49, I had no idea that its verses spoke all about Jesus Christ, and not only His first coming but also His second coming. The verses tell us of how Jesus came to establish, or raise up, the tribes of Israel, and to restore the preserved, meaning the one-third remnant, of Israel. They also tell us that God planned all along for Jesus to offer salvation not only to Israel but also to the Gentiles, for God knew that Israel would reject their chosen one, their true Messiah. Let us look back at several of the Scriptures in Isaiah 49, and reflect on them. Let us see that the word of God is true, and that He wants us to read it for ourselves so that we can get to know Him better, and His plan of salvation for us.

Isaiah 49:1 tells us that God called Jesus from the womb and made mention of His name, which was fulfilled in the books of Matthew and Luke:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise [as follows]: When as his mother Mary was espoused [betrothed] to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just [upright] man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily [secretly]. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived [begotten] in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS [Saviour]: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet [Isaiah, Isaiah 7:14], saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is [is translated], God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not [kept her a virgin] till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:18-25)

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail [Rejoice], thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast [considered] in her mind what manner of salutation [greeting] this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:26-33)

Isaiah 49:2 tells us that God had hidden Jesus in the shadow of His (God’s) hand and in His quiver, and in fact, that is exactly what happened until the first coming of Jesus Christ; He was hidden and yet the Scriptures spoke volumes of Him, including in Isaiah 49. Isaiah 49:2 tells us that Jesus’ mouth was made like a sharp sword, and what does a sharp sword do? It cuts, it divides, and that is exactly what Jesus, the Word of God, does, for He gives people the truth. Sadly, most are offended by it, are cut to the heart by it, and in their stubbornness and pride of heart, they don’t want to believe it. This was true of those He came to save first, His own people, the people of Israel, and it is true for the majority of Israel today and for the entire world:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5)

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance [apart from] against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 10:34-39)

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Isaiah 49;7 tells us that it is Jesus “whom man despiseth” and “whom the nation abhorreth.” There is such powerful truth in those words! Has there ever been a man more despised upon the earth than Jesus? Has His own nation, the nation He came to save first, the nation of Israel, abhorred anyone else more than Him? When Jesus came to earth at His first coming, the scribes and the Pharisees absolutely hated Him, and Jesus called them out for their hypocrisy, even pronouncing eight woes upon them for their love of themselves and their lack of humility and justice for the widows and the poor. Instead of recognizing Jesus for who He is, their Messiah, sent by God to save them from their sins, the scribes and Pharisees felt threatened by Jesus, and yet, Jesus had pity upon them and said to them:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 23:37)

Because of their rejection of the truth of God, Jesus then proclaimed:

“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 23:38-39)

Though Jesus told them that their house was left desolate, He also gave them hope, for He told them that there will be a day when they will see Him again, but it is conditional upon their turning to Him, in realizing that He IS their Messiah, their Deliverer and Redeemer. Sadly, modern day Israel is no different than the Israel that lived during Jesus’ first coming. I recently watched a video that compiled clips of different rabbis claiming that Donald Trump is their Messiah. (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmDPAsCS9kE). Israel365news.com reported way back on May 23, 2018 the following: (See: https://israel365news.com/323848/the-trump-king-david-connection-and-how-it-connects-with-abrahams-covenant/)

“Donald Trump in Gematria (Hebrew numerology) equals 424, which is the same as Moshiach ben David (Messiah from the house of David),” Rabbi Berger pointed out. “This certainly does not mean he will be the Messiah, but it indicates that he will play a role in preparing the way for the arrival of the Messiah. He clearly has this inclination. Why else would he have a campaign event overlooking the Temple Mount? No other presidential candidate has done this.”

This is certainly very concerning because Israel is not looking for their true Messiah, Jesus Christ, who has come first as the Lamb of God “which taketh away the sin of the world,” as spoken by John the baptizer in John 1:29, and will return the second time as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS and will bring judgment upon every single person who chose to remain in their sin rather than accepting the free gift of salvation by Jesus’ sinless and precious blood. So who is Israel truly looking for? I believe they are looking for the coming final antichrist, the one who will come in his own name. Let us read what transpired between the Jews and Jesus when, on the sabbath day, Jesus healed a man that had a sickness for 38 years:

“The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore [for this reason] did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things so ever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:15-19)

Let us read what else Jesus told them, and I think it relates directly to the Jewish rabbis in Israel today who reject Jesus Christ as their true Messiah and how they are so warmly embracing and accepting Donald Trump, even some calling him their Messiah, or at least the one whom they believe is preparing the way for the one whom they call their Messiah:

“Search [You search] the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And [But] ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (Jesus Christ; John 5:39-43)

Has there ever been a man who is adored by Israel and whose name is plastered all over the place than Donald Trump’s? Is he the man who comes in his own name and who is received by Israel? I believe all signs are pointing to a conclusive “yes.” I believe Israel is setting itself up to be deceived by the final antichrist, the one with whom they will sign what God calls “a covenant with death” in Isaiah 28:18.

While Isaiah 49:7 tells us long before Jesus came to earth the first time that the nation, meaning Israel, would abhor Him, Isaiah 49:13-15 tells us that there IS reason to rejoice. These Scriptures tell us that God will not forget His afflicted, the people of Israel, forever but “will have mercy upon his afflicted.” It tells us that though His people are as a woman who has forgotten her own sucking or nursing child, and has not had “compassion on the son of her womb,” He will not forget them.

Isaiah 49;6 tells us of His plan of restoration for Israel and also His plan of salvation for Gentiles, “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” This fact that Jesus is the Light was repeated in the New Testament, including in the books of Luke and John. The book of Luke gives us the account of an older man named Simeon, who had been waiting a long time for Messiah to come. Let us read of that account:

“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten [bring revelation to] the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

John the baptizer made the following proclamations about Jesus, testifying that He is the Light of the world:

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John [John was speaking of himself]. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He [John] was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own [His own people, the Jews] received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons [children] of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh [became flesh], and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:6-14)

There is soon coming a time when the whole house of Israel will go through a time that will leave them desolate, and not only them but the entire world, during the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble. It is the time when God takes His attention off of the Gentiles and turns His attention back to Israel. All the world will hate the Jews, and they will literally flee for their safety. As discussed previously in other Scriptures, Jerusalem will be surrounded by her enemies, and will be trampled upon by them.

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed [surrounded] with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh [near]. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries [country] enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child [pregnant], and to them that give suck [are nursing], in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden [trampled] down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing for [from] fear, and for looking after [expectation of] those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Jesus Christ; Luke 21:20-26)

Sometime before or during the 7-year period, Israel will build its Third Temple and will prepare and conduct sacrifices and offerings in it. At the midpoint of the 7-year covenant that the antichrist will make with the many, he will commit the abomination of desolation, as prophesied by Daniel and referenced by Jesus. It is when the antichrist goes to the Temple and declares himself to be God. It is at that time when the Jews will see that they have been deceived by him and will flee for their lives:

“And he [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant [or a treaty] with many for one week [period of seven years]: and in the midst of the week [middle; 3-1/2 years into the treaty] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [or desolator].” (Daniel 9:27)

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither the sabbath day: for then there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s [chosen ones, the Jews] sake those days shall be shortened.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:15-22)

“But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: and let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up [get] his garment. But woe to to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction [tribulation], such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” (Jesus Christ; Mark 13:14-20)

It is clear in the Scriptures above that when Jesus told His disciples these things, that He was speaking specifically about the Jews and not believers in Jesus Christ because He said for them, meaning the Jews, to pray that when the time comes for them to flee, to pray it is not in winter nor the sabbath day. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are not required to keep the sabbath day since Jesus fulfilled the Law and we are not under it but the New Covenant.

There is something very interesting in the three Scriptures above from the gospels of Luke, Matthew, and Mark, and that is that each one of them state, “then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains.” Thus, this implies that the Jews must be living in Judaea at the time that the abomination of desolation occurs. We are living in a time when the Jews are living in Judaea and Samaria, which is called “the west bank” by the secular world. From 1948 to 1967, Judaea was under the control of the country of Jordan. However, in 1967 Israel regained control of Judaea and Samaria in the 6-Day War: (See: https://israel365action.com/judea-and-samaria/what-is-the-history-of-judea-and-samaria/)

“In 1967, the Arab nations of Egypt, Syria and Jordan declared war on Israel. Miraculously, Israel defeated all of its enemies with a crushing victory that took only six days to complete. In addition to conquering the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Desert from Egypt, Israel liberated the old city of Jerusalem and the regions of Judea and Samaria from Jordan. Israel’s triumph in the Six Day War marked a pivotal moment, restoring Jewish authority over the region for the first time since before the Temple’s destruction in 69 CE.”

In May of this year, Israel has approved 22 new towns in Judaea and Samaria, marking “the largest single settlement expansion since the Six-Day War in 1967.” (See: https://israfan.com/p/israel-approves-new-samaria-settlements) On August 20 of this year, Israel approved a project to further expand settlements in Judaea and Samaria. (See: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-e1-settlements-8a713939ee6f6552381246dacc8a1301) On September 2, 2025, The Jerusalem Post wrote an article titled “Netanyahu to hold talks over West Bank annexation in response to Palestinian state recognition.” (See: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-866051) However, because of pressure by the United Arab Emirates, which are part of the Abraham Accords, which said it would said it would be “red line” for them, Netanyahu now has walked this plan back, at least for now. (See: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-866308)

The September 2025 annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly has once again drawn the world’s ire against Israel. Once again we hear the repeated calls to divide God’s land that He gave to Israel. Once again, we see the world’s attention focused on Israel. In what seems to have been a shock at least to some in Israel, Donald Trump made the following statement on September 25, 2025 regarding Israel’s annexation of Judea and Samaria: (See: https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-not-going-to-happen-trump-says-he-wont-allow-israel-to-annex-west-bank/)

“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. It’s not going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked to confirm reports that he assured Arab and Muslim leaders of that stance during a multilateral meeting held Tuesday on the UN General Assembly sidelines”

The article further states that he had spoken with Benjamin Netanyahu regarding this matter. I do not know what the consequences of this statement will by for the USA and Israel, but I do know this: the land of Judaea and Samaria is not Donald Trump’s land, it is God’s land. I pray for Donald Trump to realize that he is at war with what God says and for him to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved, not by any “good” deed that Donald Trump believes can save him, but because of what Jesus did for him and for us all. I also pray for God’s will to be done.

I believe, based on my understanding of the word of God, that we are drawing near to the end of the time of the Gentiles. This is referring to the time when no longer is the world ruled by the Gentiles. I believe prior to this, the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble will happen, and at the end of it, Jesus Christ returns at His second coming, destroys all who will come against Him, and saves the remnant of Israel. Jesus will then take His rightful and righteous reign upon the earth for 1,000 years:

“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden [trampled] down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits [opinion]; that blindness [hardening] in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching [concerning the] the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” (Romans 11:25-28)

The prophet Daniel spoke about the kingdoms of the Gentiles being brought down once and for all, and that it will be God Himself that will break in pieces the kingdoms of the Gentiles. Daniel interpreted the Babylonian King, King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in which the king had seen a great image of a man that had a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass or bronze, legs of iron, and feet mixed of iron and clay. The king had dreamt that “a stone was cut out without hands” that broke into pieces the image. Daniel told him that the different parts of the image represented the kingdoms of the Gentiles, with King Nebuchadnezzar being the head of gold in the dream. Daniel also told him of a coming kingdom:

“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 [or crush] in pieces and consume [or put an end to] all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass [bronze], the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure [trustworthy].” (Daniel 2:44-45)

Let us read other places in the Bible that describe this coming kingdom, which will end the times of the Gentiles, the ruling of the world by non-Jewish peoples, and when it will be Jesus Christ who will reign on earth:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son [Jesus] is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

In Revelation 11:15-19, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet judgment, this was proclaimed:

“And the seventh angel sounded [blew his trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath [thine anger] is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament [covenant]: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” (Revelation 11:15-19)

This coming kingdom of Jesus Christ will be put in place at the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, when Jesus Himself will tread the winepress upon the wicked and vile world and will save a one-third remnant of His people, Israel, who will realize that Jesus IS their Messiah and will turn to Him. That saved remnant of Israel will finally believe in Him and put their faith and trust in Him for their salvation. Jesus will also save those Gentiles who will turn to Him during the tribulation period. These Gentiles will become the children of Israel, who will have lost many of their own sons and daughters in their time of trouble. Isaiah 49 and many other Scriptures tell us that Israel will be gathered together in their own land, the land that God gave them. However, this gathering of Israel will be different from all prior times, for they will have been redeemed by their Saviour and Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob; no more will they turn to false gods and to religion. Hallelujah!

Because I believe we are so very close to the beginning of the time of Jacob’s trouble, I want us to read what happens at the end of it. I know that there are many believers in Jesus Christ who have not read the entire Bible for themselves, including the book of Revelation. In the event that any unbeliever is reading this, I want to include this information because it tells us what will happen to all unbelievers. Sadly, many pastors in the USA, and I suspect the world, do not preach about the future of all unbelievers. I don’t want to be like that, and I want to give them the truth. Thus, I want to end this devotional message, and my final devotional on Isaiah chapter 49, with the understanding of what happens at the end of the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, which is followed by Satan being cast into the bottomless pit for the entire time of Jesus’ 1,000-year millennial reign on earth, and the blessed first resurrection of believers in Jesus Christ who died for their faith in Him. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be let out of the bottomless pit for a little while, during which he will deceive the nations which will choose to follow him instead of Jesus. This will be humanity’s final test to see whom they will serve: God or Satan. This final rebellion against God will end with all who will follow Satan being destroyed, and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, forever. This will be followed by the second resurrection, which will be a resurrection of all unbelievers, meaning those who chose to die in their sin rather than trusting in God for their salvation, and they will be judged by their works. Since no works can save us, they will all be found guilty because their names will not be written in the book of life. All of them will be cast into the lake of fire. Let us read about all of this from Revelation chapter 20:

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed [released] a little season [while]. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired [completed], Satan shall be loosed [released] out of his prison, and he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed [surrounded] the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every many according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20)

This 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ will be glorious, but it is not the end; no, it is just the beginning! We read in 2 Peter that though the current heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire, we have something much better to look forward to. Also notice what Peter first says, that God doesn’t want any to perish but that all would repent, meaning to turn from sin and turn to Him:

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness [conduct], looking for and hasting [hastening] unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Peter 3:10-14)

Let us read what the apostle John saw when he was taken up to heaven and entered through a door and shown the things that would happen in the future. Before reading those Scriptures from Revelation 21, let us read what John saw and compare to what Jesus said about Himself:

“After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” (Revelation 4:1)

“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:7-9)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus clearly told His disciples and all of us in His word that He alone is the door that we must enter through in order to have access to heaven and to be with God the Father. There is no other door; He, Jesus Christ, alone IS the door!

Now, let us read what John the apostle saw when he was taken up to heaven by the Spirit and which he wrote about in Revelation 21:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst [who thirsts] of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers [sexually immoral], and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8)

In summary, based on studying the Scriptures for myself and putting out of my mind what I have heard pastors say, and strictly letting the Holy Spirit guide me into all truth, this is what I believe is the timeline:

• Antichrist signs the covenant with the many (Daniel 9:27), which begins Israel’s 70th week, also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble and the tribulation period. It lasts seven years. (Daniel 9:27), with the second half of it starting when the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15), and ends after 1,290 days (Daniel 12:11). When the abomination of desolation occurs, God will protect a one-third remnant of Israel for 1,260 days (Revelation 12:6, 14).

• At the end of Israel’s 70th week, Jesus will physically return to earth where the Antichrist, the false prophet, and all who are allied with them against Jesus at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). Jesus will destroy all of them with the sword of His mouth, and He will cast the Antichrist and false prophet, who are alive, into the lake of fire. This is when Jesus gathers all of His people back into the land of Israel, and Israel will mourn for Him and will realize that He truly IS their Messiah. Jesus will pour out His Holy Spirit upon them and sprinkle clean water upon them, cleansing them from all their sins. This is when God gives them a new heart and fills them with His Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24-29). This is when God sets one Shepherd, Jesus, over them, who will feed them and make a covenant of peace with them. This is when Israel will dwell safely in their land. (Ezekiel 34:22-25). This is when they shall never again be a prey to the Gentile nations, whom God calls the heathen. (Ezekiel 34:28)

• An angel will cast Satan into the bottomless pit, from where he cannot escape, for 1,000 years.

• Jesus will take His righteous and glorious reign upon the earth. It is during this time that the land of Israel will flourish and God’s people will be restored (Ezekiel 34:26-29). The Gentile nations will also come to Israel and will become sons and daughters of Israel, who will lose many of their sons and daughters during their time of trouble (Isaiah 49:20-22). The Gentile kings and queens of the earth will honor Israel, for they will know that it was through Israel that Jesus Christ, their Redeemer, came forth (Isaiah 49:23). Rather than hating Israel, they will rejoice with her. (Isaiah 66:10-12).

• At the end of the 1,000-year reign of Jesus, Satan will be let out of the bottomless pit, and for one final time, he will “deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog.” (Revelation 20:7-9) This is when the last battle on earth will occur, and it is Satan who will lead it. Not surprisingly, people will turn from Jesus to believe the lies of Satan, just as what happened during Jesus’ first coming. However, fire will come down from God in heaven and will destroy them all. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire forever; he will never be let out and will never deceive anyone ever again. (Revelation 20:7-10)

• At the Great White Throne judgment, God will resurrect to life every single person who died in their sins, and they will all be found guilty because their names will not be found in the book of life. God will then cast them all into the lake of fire, forever.

• Jesus will destroy the current earth with fire and will create a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem. (2 Peter 3:10-14, Revelation 21:1-2) All who were saved because of our faith in God will live there, for eternity, with God and we will know only pure joy and peace. (Revelation 21:3-7)

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John was shown what eternity will look like, for both those who put their faith and trust in the One true God to save them, and for those who reject God’s gift of salvation and who believe in anything and anyone else to save them, or who believe there is no God and they don’t need saving at all. For those who are saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, including those who lived in the Old Testament times prior to the first coming of Jesus Christ and who put their faith and trust in God to save them, our eternal future is when our true lives begin. It is when we are finally with our God, and He will be with us. Sin will never exist again, and no more will Satan be there to tempt us into sin. We will only know peace and joy, together with our brothers and sisters in our faith in Almighty God, forever.

Let us read again the last verse of Isaiah chapter 49, let us remember that there will come a time when no more will Israel be the scorn of nations, and no more will they turn away from God. There will be a remnant of Israel who will finally turn to Jesus Christ, their Messiah during their time of trouble, and He will bring bloodshed upon those who will seek to destroy them:

“And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:26)

Though Israel must still go through their 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, a time of darkness never known to the entire world, may we remember that God is not finished with Israel. He will show mercy to those who turn to Him during their time of trouble, and He will turn the hands of those who come against His people on themselves. Those who come against Israel will not prevail. The surviving one-third remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles will rejoice together when Jesus Christ returns at His second coming, and many Gentiles will be gathered in the land of Israel, God’s land:

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow [become radiant] together, and thine heart shall fear [swell with joy], and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces [wealth] of the Gentiles [nations] shall come unto thee.” (Isaiah 60:1-5)

“And the sons of strangers [foreigners] shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote [struck] thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.” (Isaiah 60:10)

“Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 60:15-16)

“Violence shall no more [longer] be heard in thy land, wasting [devastation] nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his [its] time.” (Isaiah 60:18-22)

I hope you have enjoyed this long journey as we did an in-depth study of Isaiah chapter 49. I have grown to love the writings of this prophet, and I can’t wait until I get to meet him when we are with Jesus in the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem.

In closing, I pray for world leaders, including Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, to know that they are fighting a war that has already been won by Jesus Christ. There is no earthly solution for a problem that has infected the entire world since the beginning: sin. The only solution to this is to turn our hearts to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and let Him wash us clean of all our sins with His precious and sinless blood. The war that is being fought between Israel and its enemies has been happening since God called Abram to leave his father’s house and go into the land of Canaan. God promised Abram. whom He would later call Abraham, that He would make a great nation out of him, and promised to make that nation a blessing to all families of the earth. (Genesis 12:3). It was through the union of Abram and his wife, Sarai, whom God would later call Sarah, that would bear a son named Isaac. Prior to Isaac being born, Abram had asked God to bless his son, Ishmael, who was born of the union of Abram and Sarai’s handmade, Hagar. However, God told Abram that His covenant He had made unilaterally, meaning by God Himself, while Abram was sleeping, was not with Ishmael but with the son who would be born from Abram and Sarai:

“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed [descendants] after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to hy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:7-8)

“And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed [descendants] after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.” (Genesis 18-21)

This war between Israel and its enemies will not be ended by Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, nor any other earthly man or woman; no, only God will end it, and He will do so in His perfect timing.

I have included the following Scriptures from Psalm 2 in prior devotionals, but I believe it is fitting to include them again here, given the environment we are currently in a world that has many rulers saying they desire peace and safety, while at the same time are rejecting the everlasting covenant that God made with Israel and calling for Israel to divide further the land that is God’s land. The nations of the world want peace but reject Jesus Christ and what His word says. Let us read the words of warning God gave to the nations. I pray they heed them:

“Why do the heathen [Gentiles] rage, and the people imagine [plot] a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex [distress] them in his sore [deep] displeasure. Yet have I set [installed] my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give the heathen [nations or Gentiles] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2)