Harvest of Asher
Akko, Israel
“I saw the LORD seated on the throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the Temple.” And the angels cried, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:1-3)
The prophet Isaiah found himself gazing into the heavenly realm where he saw the angels praising the Lord. He was shocked to find himself in this place because he knew that he was not pure enough to stand in the Lord’s presence. He realized how unclean both his lips and his people’s lips were. Then the Lord sent an angel with a burning coal from the altar to purify his lips. Isaiah ministered between the years 744 BC to 701 BC, mainly to the tribe of Judah, during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. According to Jewish tradition, the prophet Isaiah was a descendant of the royal Davidic bloodline. His grandfather was a king before the reign of Uzziah. Isaiah could have chosen a life of wealth and ease. Instead, he chose to dedicate himself to God; and to convey His words of divine comfort, but also His words of searing rebuke. Isaiah found himself commissioned and speaking prophetically to kings, tribes and nations. Isaiah is the prophet through whom the Spirit of God revealed God’s mercy and comfort for His people, perhaps more than any other. In the Spirit, Isaiah “saw” Yeshua 700 years before His birth (Isaiah 53). He is the prophet whose prophecies were most quoted by the disciples, and by Yeshua Himself (Isaiah 61). When Isaiah was in the presence of God in chapter 6, he could have chosen to remain there. However, he heard God’s conversation with the angels – he heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah chose to respond “Hineini. Here am I. Send me!” He was then anointed with authority as a prophet sent by God to the people. (In like manner, the prophet Jeremiah was anointed in Jeremiah chapter 1.) Isaiah is the first prophet that I see in the Bible reflecting the heavenly kingdom – that kingdom we pray will come here on earth as in heaven. Even though Isaiah was from the royal family and acquainted with royal life; he realized that no kingdom could be perfect like the heavenly one to come. Yeshua prayed, “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We pray for the Kingdom of God to come and reign over all the earth. When I look at Jerusalem today, I understand that this physical city and the government which we see with our physical eyes is not the heavenly one. Yes, pray for the government and the peace of Jerusalem today. But know that King Yeshua is the One who will ultimately bring His shalom and the heavenly kingdom when He comes. The earthly Jerusalem killed and rejected the prophets and the One who was sent to her. But we say “Baruch haba b’shem ADONAI. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” to our Lord Yeshua!
