Something Greater

Isaiah 8: The Witnessess (Part 1 of 4) The LORD directs Isaiah to seal the documentation concerning the future Assyrian invasion of Israel, again using Isaiah's child as a sign. The LORD compares Assyria to a mighty river flooding all of Israel and Judah, all the land belonging to God's Chosen: Immanuel. The LORD gave Isaiah a stern warning: do not allow Israel's fear to infect you: "Fear God alone". Isaiah responds in the voice of Immanuel: "I will hope in the LORD". Those who seek the occult forces of necromancery will be thrust into thick darkness. This chapter will be divided into four parts, each part posted weekly for the next four weeks: The Witnesses The Flood The Conspiracy Waiting And Hoping The Tablet Isaiah writes the words of the LORD on a tablet and has two witnesses seal it for authenticity. The prediction is accompanied by a symbol: Isaiah's child. The tablet is large, and Isaiah is to write on it in "common c...

A Tent of Witness The nation of Israel had rejected Moses and turned away from God Almighty, their Deliverer from oppressive Egypt, worshipping instead idols made of their own hands . God responded harshly, dooming them to a time of exile. However, Stephen reminds his accusers that God did not leave them , even when they were unfaithful: "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen." Acts 7:44 (ESV) TENT OF WITNESS: skene (a tent or cloth hut) and martyrion (something evidential); from martys (a witness or "martyr") Three months after escaping from Egypt, the people of Israel entered the wilderness of Sinai. God called Moses up alone to the top of Mount Sinai and spoke directly to Moses, preparing him to confront the people with words direct from God's mouth. Moses returned from the mountain and warned the people of the powerfully severe hol...

Unswayed By The Facts "But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:14-18 (ESV) Peter and John, arrested and brought to trial before the Jewish religious court, spoke boldly and decisively. The high priest and the select, inner core of Jerusalem's theocracy were astonished and silent . What paralyzed these powerful men's tongues? Irrefutable, verifiable truth in the form of a beggar standing with Peter and John. The beggar had been lame from bir...