Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/9561/isaiah/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] And may the Lord graciously lead us as we turn again to the prophet of Isaiah chapter 40 and at verse 5. [0:24] The book of the prophet Isaiah chapter 40 and at verse 5. The glory of Jehovah shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. [0:43] For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. And we sought in great consciousness of impotence and insufficiency to look at the opening words. [1:05] The great theme that is set before us. The glory of Jehovah. What a theme. [1:21] What a holy theme. What a great theme. And yet it has pleased Jehovah to set before us here in this truth. [1:36] The glory of the Lord Jehovah shall be revealed. So I want to pass on a little further this evening. [1:47] Stepping slowly and prayerfully. I would seek to notice the next declaration. Shall be revealed. [1:59] For whatever this glory of Jehovah is and it's certainly exceedingly abundantly beyond either all that we have tried to express or can conceive in our minds. [2:18] But it shall be revealed. And so we have to face this in the form of a question. [2:29] How is this to be revealed? Well again let the scripture be our guide as it can only be as I trust at all times. [2:41] In all matters but particularly in such matters as this. How is the glory of the Lord Jehovah to be revealed? [2:53] Well I feel first of all and shall we begin as we only can begin as poor mortals at the beginning of time. [3:05] For the mind cannot pierce and fathom into eternity part. And I feel first of all that we need to go back as the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and has been revealed in the glory of his power in creation. [3:27] Don't let's underage you might have. For God did not. If only to look at the closing words of the first chapter of Genesis. [3:41] To see as Jehovah looked down upon him. And the Lord saw everything that he had might. And it was good. [3:54] And remember that goodness must be according to heavenly standards. Nothing short of it is worthy of the name good. [4:08] But Jehovah looked down in the perfection of his infinite and eternal mind. And according to the standards of his perfection. [4:22] And he constituted the whole of his handiwork to be good. This of course is before the third chapter of Genesis. Where sin came and marred. [4:35] But what power is manifested. Whether we go back to the beginning of it or consider it. Even at the present time. [4:47] Even at the present time. You've all commented. Every one of you. I expect over the conditions of the past week and the conditions to die. [4:59] And you've all said something of this kind. In the substance of it. If not in the actual world. And it's marvellous. It's all gone. [5:11] Where's the power of man that could clear all that snow away in a few hours. [5:23] Where's the power of man that could bring it down in the first place. Where's the power of man that could do anything in relation to it. Power belonging is under God. [5:37] Power belonging is under God. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in relation to his power in his creative works. [5:49] I can remember many years ago now the first time. I'm not a countryman. I'm a Londoner. But the first time I looked out of a window where I was staying and saw the country covered with snow. [6:05] What a future. Oh I know you can stand and shiver with a cold. But I say what a future friend. Did you ever stand and marvel at the power that could bring it about. [6:19] As every little flake of snow gently falls and accumulates. The glory of Jehovah. [6:30] I say, ah you haven't seen the glory of the Lord in the past week have you. No you haven't seen the difficulties. And I say you, I mean myself included. We've thought of the difficulties of getting here and getting there. [6:47] We've thought of the troubles and all perhaps of the expense it's going to be put to. Have you seen anything of the glory of the Lord? No, we dwell in the midst of it. [7:03] And we don't see one whit of it. Not one whit. Somebody only said this morning before the service, why the little snowdrops are already pushing through the snow. [7:18] But, consider the lilies how they grow said Jehovah. They toil not neither do they spin. And yet Solomon in all his glory, same world, but a different person. [7:35] Solomon in all his glory is not right like one of those. Not one. Creation. Have you ever thought of his creative works as you look at yourself? [7:53] Of course you can't look inside, I know. Do you ever think about it? I can't profess to know much about the natum. [8:05] But I do know this, my dear friend, in my poor puny little knowledge. That I eat, and what I eat in a strange mysterious way within my being is segregated. [8:19] And some go to make bone, and some go to make blood, and some go to make flesh. Who doesn't? Somebody's saying, well I thought we were going to hear the gospel preached. [8:35] Well if you can't see any gospel in this, my dear friend, then I'm sorry for you. For this is the handiwork of the infinite. [8:48] The glory of the Lord shall be revealed. The psalmist saw it when he looked at himself. And when he saw, as it were, as it were his members, when as yet none of them were fashioned. [9:05] And he said, oh, he said, the wonder, the wonder. It reminds me of the little child. You know, it's amazing what comes from the lips of a little child. [9:20] The dear servant of God I know very well indeed, some of you know him too. One of his children, they're grown up now and both married, but when they were little tots, before they were old enough to attend the house of God, and mother had to stay at home on the Lord's Day evening with them. [9:41] Sitting there at home while father was in the chapel preaching. The little girl looked up and said, mother, mother, you've always told us that God made everything. [9:56] Yes, my dear, God made everything. And after a little lapse, did God make this? Yes, my dear. Did God make that? Yes, my dear. [10:07] And after a number of things, there was quite a long silence. And then the child said, mummy, did God make the flies? Yes, my dear. [10:20] And there was an even longer pause and an even longer silence. And then without looking up at mother, the poor little child's mind was going round and round and round. [10:33] And she said, what a fiddly job. And that poor child conceived the majesty of heaven, making the wings and making the feet and making the head and then putting them together. [10:50] But the flower, God made it. Creative power. And you and I, beloved, haven't yet stopped to think about it. [11:02] But remember the book says, all things were created by him and for him. And God has created you and I and placed us in the sphere. [11:19] What of? The world? In the sphere of his eternal appointment. Creative. You've heard me say it or at least hinted, I believe I've said it here if I haven't, well it doesn't matter. [11:40] I've certainly said it at different times. You were not created at the wrong time. This is the glory of the power of the glory of Jehovah that is being revealed. [11:57] And he in his eternal purpose. And he said, I must ordain that my poor soul should be blessed with his grace at a given time in a given sanctuary, through a given text, through a given servant of his. [12:13] But I wasn't there. I wasn't created. No. There can be no mistakes, my dear friend. No mistakes. [12:25] The glory of the Lord shall be revealed in its power. And power belongeth unto God. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, in him? [12:39] My way is hid from the Lord. Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? Ah, friend. Have we heard it? [12:51] The everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the earth? Faint is not. Neither is we. There is no searching of his understanding. [13:05] He gives power to the faint. He didn't impart power where it wasn't needed. He gives power to the faint and to them that are weak, he increases strength. [13:18] And so on. The young men may utterly fall in the vigour of their life, they may utterly fall. So on. Power. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed in power. [13:40] But what about his majesty? Have you seen his majesty? I don't mean the effects of it, I mean the majesty. [13:55] The ruling, reigning power. Time forbids, neither is it necessary. I hope to go into little details. [14:06] For where is there anything under the canopy of heaven that is not under his complete power? I've referred to the little snow drop. [14:17] It couldn't grow without his power. The snow couldn't fall without his power. You couldn't live one moment longer without his power. [14:31] And though you may fight with hand uplifted high and with all the weapons that satanic power may produce, and spend all your time fighting against God. [14:46] You'll bow before his power in due time. For when he comes in sovereignty and majesty and says, Thou shalt die, die thou not. [15:02] It's in the book. It's in the book. He taketh away their breath. Psalm 107. He taketh away their breath. Psalm 107. He taketh away their breath. They die. Power. And you're in merit in my dear friends. [15:21] God, you're the subject of it. It matters not though, God, to open your eyes to see the solemnity of it. It matters not whether you acknowledge him or not. [15:33] My dear friends, you're the subject of it. You're the subject of it. The very fact, my dear friend, that you live from day to day. [15:44] And that your mind, your physical frame, your capabilities develop as they do. It's according to his power. [15:55] Yes, majesty. He doeth as he will in the armies of heaven and amongst the inhabitants of the earth. [16:08] And none can stye his hand or say what doest thou? Majesty. Not dictatorial. [16:19] Oh no. Not cruel tyranny. But majesty. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed. [16:34] You and I have seen something. Something of the display of it. When it rains, my dear friends, you can't stop it. [16:48] And when it doesn't rain, you can't make it. Oh I know they've been up in aeroplanes and they tell us they made it rain. Well of course a man finds a few bones away in some little corner and he says, that are the bones of a man that lived three million years ago. [17:05] Who's going to deny it? He might have said six million years ago. He might have said three thousand million years ago. Wouldn't make any difference. Wouldn't make any difference. [17:17] Majesty. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed in these things. [17:29] And what about his perfection? We've looked very, very briefly at something of the perfections of his work. [17:40] The maintenance of it apart of course from sin. What about himself and his person? [17:51] What have we here? All nations before him are as nothing. And they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity. [18:06] To whom then will ye liken God? Incomparable. Incomparable. In his perfections. [18:19] Perfect in his being. Perfect in all that he does. Perfect in all that he has planned. Perfect in everything that emanates from him. Here is some conception of it. As Jehovah puts the question. To whom then? To whom then? will ye liken Jehovah? Will ye liken Jehovah? Incomparable. [18:30] Incomparable. In his perfections. Perfect in his being. Perfect in all that he does. Perfect in all that he has planned. Perfect in everything that emanates from him. And here is some conception of it. [18:41] As Jehovah puts the question. To whom then? Will ye liken Jehovah? Or later down. To whom then? Will ye liken me? Perfection. The man is talking about perfection. Perfection. And the man is talking about perfection. [18:53] Before he started. There was imperfection. The very materials that he uses are imperfect. You can't bring it back in all the things that he has done. To whom then? To whom then? Will ye liken Jehovah? Or later down. To whom then? Will ye liken me? Perfection. [19:04] Perfection. A man is talking about perfection. Before he started. There was imperfection. [19:15] The very materials that he uses are imperfect. You can't bring a clean thing out of an unclean. [19:26] Says the word. Whether it be in relation to the matter I've referred to. Or whether it be in relation to man as the sinner. Here is perfection. [19:39] Here is the revelation of the glory of Jehovah. As revealed. Here. [19:50] But I must hasten the time runs on. It is to be revealed in the passion of his son. 2 Corinthians 4 and 6 may be our guide in relation to this. [20:07] To quote only one passage amongst many others. And here there is a linking. [20:18] And I like the way that Jehovah, the Spirit of God, links together. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. [20:30] The first creation. The first creation. Has shined in our hearts. What for? To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah. [20:43] In the face of Jesus Christ. The first creation. That's where you'll have the revelation of it. You'll see it in his works. [20:55] But if you would see it in its fullness. You'll see it in his dear son. For remember Paul again in the Colossian epistle reminds us that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him. [21:15] All the fullness. The things we have or the avenues that we have traced and thousands of others that could be traced. It's all in him. [21:27] And he has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah in that medium. That's where you'll see it. [21:40] You'll see it best, my dear friend, as a poor sinner. As you climb the hill that leads to Calvary. [21:51] Yes. The glory of Jehovah shall be revealed. But what of the gospel, friend? [22:02] What of the gospel? Is there a glory in the gospel? Is there the glory of Jehovah in the gospel to you? Or is it something that's irksome and irritable? [22:18] Something that to your conception is old fashioned and out of date? And that is the terminology that is used today. We've got to change it. [22:29] We've got to bring it all up to date. Let me remind you that Jehovah calls it the glorious gospel. The glorious gospel. [22:40] The gospel of glory is the designation of Jehovah himself. To have the scripture for it's far better to have the scripture than ourselves. [22:55] In this book, 1 Timothy 1.11. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. [23:12] Oh, my dear friend, have you learnt something of the glory of Jehovah revealed in the gospel? For if you have, you'll know something of the real meaning and the responsiveness of the heart as you're enabled to stand and sing how sweet the name of Jesus is. [23:35] It soothes his child, heals his wounds, drives away his fear. The glory of the gospel. [23:47] The glory of the gospel. But let's gather it all up, can we? Shall be revealed in his grace. In his grace. [23:58] In his grace. Wondrous grace of God. I don't wonder we have the repetition of the end of several of the epistles. [24:12] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you all. How many times have you used that expression? [24:23] What do you mean by it? As you say to some soul, the grace of the Lord be with you. What do you mean by it? [24:35] 2 Corinthians 12.9 And here is the word that speaks. And speaks as only heaven can reveal it. [24:51] And he said unto me, This is a needy soul. This is a person whose need cannot be met with elsewhere. [25:03] You know the need I needn't dwell upon. He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee. [25:15] My grace is sufficient for thee. Grace of cost that stretches to the uttermost ends of the earth. [25:29] Grace that in itself is another theme of amazing heavens unfolding. I'm not going to even tarry to mention the aspects of it. [25:42] But the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in it. And friend, if the word of the gospel has come to your poor soul with power, you've felt a little of the glory of the Lord, if you haven't been conscious of it. [25:59] The glory of Jehovah that should have deigned to apply his word to your unworthy soul. The glory of Jehovah shall be revealed in his grace. [26:16] And what about the blessed gift of hope? Oh yes I do. I tarry my dear friends and hesitate to differentiate between the measure of the glory of these things. [26:35] I can only measure them but a God given hope. Oh what a treasure. A hope that pierces through all the gloom. [26:48] A hope that rests upon his holy word and can face every hope. Hope. [26:59] The anchor of the song is hope. What would you do without a prayer? For as I've said so many times, I can think better of the negative than I can grasp the positive. [27:15] What would you do without a living hope? What could any poor sinner do when sin becomes a burden? Without that bubbling up of a little hope that there might be mercy with him to such a sinner as I. [27:34] And it buoys you up and it carries you along and it lifts you up into the heavenlies in Christ. But the glory of the Lord is revealed there in hope, friends. [27:47] You can't find it in nature's barren soil with all its perfections. Neither does it spring from man's conceptions or inventions. [28:02] There's a lot of substitutions for this. You needn't worry about hope. It's all right. Everybody's going to be saved at the end so it'll be all right. [28:15] Well, my dear friends, you don't need hope for that. My poor mind can grasp that. If it can't grasp anything else, we're all going to be saved at last. [28:27] There's nothing to hope for, is there? It'll come to pass somehow. Doesn't matter how, as long as we get there, does it? Hope, my dear friends. [28:42] Have you a hope in the mercy of God deceiving the poor sinner? Have you a hope, saint of God deceiving for deliverance in that trial and tribulation and trouble through which you're passed? [28:58] Is your hope centred upon the precious Christ? Then remember that there is a hope that is sure and steadfast. [29:10] That enters within the vile and lays whole hope. The glory of the Lord is revealed in these things. [29:23] But one other thought in this connection. The glory of Jehovah is to be revealed in the second coming cross. [29:38] You may see it as enabled of the Spirit of God. We may be privileged to see it in many ways, to many degrees, some of which I've tried to mention a little and countless others. [29:52] But what when he comes? By this morning we reminded you of that night of old, that his first coming. [30:03] When the glory of the Lord shone round about them. But when the Saviour of the Sinners comes the second time without sin unto salvation, he shall come in the glory of heaven. [30:24] And then there will be the revelation. I'm not going to turn to scriptures for they abound. But that will be a blaze of glory, friend. [30:36] It will be seen then as it was never seen hitherto here below. Ah, he will not come then to suffer. [30:48] He will not come then to fall into the hands of wicked men who should deal with him so cruelly. He will come then in the glory of his majesty, his power. [31:05] And all the holy angels with him. Do you ever think about it? For it's certain, you may, oh you may deny it. [31:21] You may deny all that I have said this evening. It won't order the fact of it. He's coming again. [31:32] What a glorious morning that will be. Or be it midday or be it in the midnight hour. For no man knoweth when he comes. [31:46] He will come as a thief in the night when you're not expecting it. He will come as a thief. Very forceful figure is that. You never expected the thief to come in the night, did you? [32:01] When you woke up in the morning and knew he'd been. But you never expected it. He shall come just like that. So we'll pass on and we'll come to that in a moment. [32:16] But the glory of Jehovah is to be seen in the second advent of his eternal Son. [32:27] When he comes to gather his ransomed people. We've read this evening and read it again, friend. Read it again and again and again. [32:40] That's 70th chapter of John. This isn't a sinner pleading for mercy. This is the infinite majestic co-equal with the Father that is in intimate communion with the Father. [33:01] Praying for. Not seeking for himself. Praying for. Ah, my dear friend. [33:14] If you're the recipient of it this evening, my dear friend, carry the thought hope. I pray for them. I could almost say I'd sit down having said that. [33:29] If you ever think about it. You cherish the thought. And rightly so in its place. I'm not underestimating nor disregarding the prayers of friends, brethren and sisters, relatives. [33:47] When you say, well I'll bear you up in prayer. No. But he said I pray for them. And if you're among those whom the Father has given to him, friend, you're included in that. [34:07] Think of it. Think of it. The glory of Jehovah. Revealed. Then. But he's coming again. [34:18] He who prayed. And pray that sublime prayer that we quoted this morning. We've read this evening. We've read this evening. It's quoted again. [34:29] Father, I will. That they also whom thou hast given me be with me. Where I am. That'll be glorious. [34:41] To be rid of this earth and all that it insignified. And all the pollution and all the corruption and all the defiance. [34:52] To be with him. To be glorious. But know the hand of the Lord is never finished, friend. [35:03] That they may behold my glory. You'll see it then, friend. Not with these mortal eyes, as the hymn writer has rightly said. [35:19] But to behold his glory. You long for it sometimes, friend. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed. [35:35] But I listen on. There's a few moments only. And what of the remainder? What of the remainder? All flesh shall see it again. [35:50] The word of the Lord never fails, my dear. The word here is its own interpreter. Doesn't need words of mine at all, hon. [36:04] All flesh shall see it together. [36:15] That can only have one application, my dear friend. It certainly doesn't apply today. For there's only but a small remnant. [36:30] And they can only see through a glass dark. And the world seems to be vaster and vaster. I mean the world that is opposed to Christ. [36:44] They don't see any glory. But they will. They will. They will. And you will. And you can't escape it, my friend, this evening. [36:58] Whoever you may be. It's embraced him. All flesh. And they shall all see it together. [37:15] And then, my dear friends, it will not be through a medium, which is what we have been tarrying around through the day thus far. [37:29] It will not be to see his glory here and there, either in his power, his majesty, and so on and so forth. But here it will be in the reality. [37:45] All flesh shall see it together. And the mouth of Jehovah has spoken it. [37:57] He who cannot lie has set it before us here within the span of his holy word. Here below, as we have tried in our impotence and ignorance and limitations today, for poor mortals as we are, we've tried to see his glory in the works of his power. [38:24] We've tried to see it in the government of the universe and in the government of our lives and the government of everything else. We've tried to see it. [38:36] We've tried to see it a little through the medium of his love and the gifts that he bestowed. And remember, my dear friend, poor sinner this evening, if you've an aching heart on account of the sense of your need, there's the glory of the Lord in that. [38:55] You never would have had a concern about for standing, my dear friend, if it hadn't come from him and he comes with his glory. Yes. [39:06] And you might consider as we have tried under the one heading that spreads out in the tributaries in all directions to see his glory in the grace and in the gracious operations of his Spirit's power. [39:26] But, but, then it will be, together all flesh shall see the glory of Jehovah. [39:43] Not through a medium any longer. For, but in the reality. It is clearly testified, my dear friends, is it not? [40:00] And let the scripture be our guide again in this as in all matters. For, every eye shall see him, and every tongue shall confess that he is Lord. [40:19] And that includes your tongue, friend, and mine. To what end? To what end? To the glory of God the Father. All flesh shall see it together. [40:32] The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Not one of his creatures will be exempt from this. [40:50] All flesh. All flesh. Every eye shall see him, and I also who kissed him. And your sin that nailed him to the tree, my dear friend and mother. [41:07] You will see his glory in death. But remember, that having unviled the glory of the triune God. [41:24] And having imparted to every eye to see it together. And with the eye to see it, that there will be a separation. [41:37] Then there will be a separation. For there will be a dividing of the sheep from the goats. Where will you and I stand then? [41:53] For just as you cannot avoid seeing him in all his glory, so you cannot avoid his power, my dear friend. [42:07] For there will be those who will go into eternity of glory. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared. [42:23] And to the others, depart from me. I never knew you. [42:35] But those things that you have spent life, the span of your earthly sojourn, whether it be three score years and ten, or whether it be three score hours and ten, you've spent it in derision, you've spent it in discarding, then you shall know his authority. [43:03] But when he then declares, depart from me, you'll have to go, friend, into everlasting wealth. [43:16] Lord, how stands the case, my soul with thee? [43:54] For heaven, are thy credentials clear? Hast thou the proof within? Then I almost chose for our closing hymn, though I felt the Lord led me to the one that we shall sing, but there was another hymn. [44:13] When thou, my righteous judge, shall come, To call thy ransomed people home, Shall I among them stand? [44:28] Shall such a worthless worm as I, Sometimes I'm afraid to die, Be found at thy right hand. [44:43] Is it concerning for him? The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together. [44:57] For the mouth of Jehovah hath said, God hath spoken, Let every man be silent. [45:07] The Lord bless his truth to his own glory. But by the power of his Spirit solemnly humble us, And the consideration of these vital matters, Embrace each one of us. [45:29] For either it will be, To be received of individual, Or to go down, Into hell, In God's Spirit. [45:44] Amen.