I want to read for you an email that I received this week. It’s not from anyone here at church. It’s from a friend of mine who has been listening to my sermons online. This man wrote,

Steve

[My wife] and I are reading the book of Joel. I came across this verse and thought about your series on Ethics of Eschatology. These applications (of how to live) are to be "life-long" and not just at the last great event.

As the word of the Lord came to Joel, regarding the revelation of the last days, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered” (Joel 2:32).

This call is our application to begin each day--not just on the day of the Lord.

Your messages give us a good application that we need to be reminded of, so often we tend to forget these instructions.

Putting our Trust in Him.

[And then, he signs his name]”

This is the heart of the sermons that I have been preaching for the past three weeks. It’s the heart that looks to the passages that are talking about the “end times,” and seeks to find the application in the passages for our lives. I have been preaching these messages because of the danger that “end times teaching” often encounters. Those who teach on the end times will often get so enamored in what the Bible says about the future, that they will forget the present day. They miss that the Biblical writers speak about the future, with the present in mind.

The burden of these messages have come out of my study of the book of Revelation, where I encountered this very thing. Preachers talking about the end, without a care for today. I have felt compelled to preach this series of messaged entitled, “The Ethics of Eschatology.” “Eschatology” has to do with the study of last things or “end times.” “Ethics” has to do with how we live our lives. All of my messages have had the same point: Whenever the Biblical writers speak about “end times,” there is always an application to be found. Now, when I talk about “end times,” I’m really talking about anything in the future, whether that’s the return of Christ, or the coming judgment, or the coming kingdom.

My message today is the last of my series of messages on “The Ethics of Eschatology.” Three weeks ago we looked to Paul’s writings and found that every time Paul speaks about “end times,” he always had an application. Most of the time the application was right there in the immediate context. Two weeks ago we looked at Peter’s writings and found the very same thing. Whenever he wrote about “end times,” there was always a specific application nearby. Last week we looked at what Jesus said. Surprise, surprise, we found the very same thing. Every time Jesus spoke about the end times, there was always an application nearby!

This morning, we will be turning to the Old Testament. and I trust that you trust, that we will find the same thing. Whenever the end times is talked about, there is always an application to be found. Or, as I have put it succinctly, there is an “Ethic of Eschatology.”

There will be no part 5 to this series. Next time I preach, we will beginning and exposition of the gospel of John. Before we dive into the Old Testament, I want you to realize how extensive are the applications of end times. Consider how varied and extensive Paul’s applications are in 1 Corinthians, which we looked at in our first message.

In chapter 3, Paul urges those in Corinth to invest themselves in work that lasts. We should build with gold and silver and precious stones, not with word, hay or straw which will be burned up in the final judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). This has all sorts of application for our lives. We should have this paradigm in front of us at all times: There will be a day when I stand in judgment, and the Lord looks at all that I have done. I should ask myself: is what I am doing today going to last for eternity? Or will it be burned up like the wood, hay and straw in the final judgment? The final judgment has a far-encompassing application in my life.

In chapter 4, Paul again applies the final judgment to our reputation toward others. We will stand before the Lord, and it is to him alone that we will give an account. Therefore, don’t worry about your reputation before others (1 Corinthians 4:5). Again, the application for us is vast. Don’t be a people-pleaser, because ultimately, it doesn’t matter what others think. It only matters what God thinks of your actions you’re your behaviors. It will all come out in the final judgment. You don’t need to fear the opinions of other people. You should fear the Lord. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." We should have such an attitude before us in all of life. constantly evaluating whether we are acting out of a fear of men or out of the fear of God.

The final judgment has a wonderful way of giving us reason to live our lives with care, because all will give an account to the Lord. I encourage you to think of how extensive this is. When you are making a big family decision, consider what sort of impact it might make for eternity. When thinking about how you will spend your time, think of the reward that will come with faithfulness to the Lord. When facing peer pressure at work or school, consider the final judgment and how you will give an account to God for all of your actions. When being tempted to sin, think about how your actions will play out in the final judgment. The ethics of eschatology are vast, covering a wide range of applications.

Consider the applications in 1 Peter, which we looked at two weeks ago. 1 Peter is dominated by using the glories of heaven and the inheritance that believers will enjoy, as a motivation to endure the sufferings of the present time. In other words, we can suffer now because the glories to come are so great in comparison to what we have now!

1 Peter 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.

Right there you see how expansive and all-encompassing Peter’s application is. They were going through “various trials.” Some were living in conflict with the government of their day (1 Peter 2:13-17). Some were facing persecution from their masters (1 Peter 2:18-21). Some were in difficult marriages (1 Peter 3:1-6). Some were being persecuted for their profession of faith (1 Peter 4:16). Some were being ridiculed because of their refusal to join in the sinful frolicking of their friends (1 Peter 4:1-5).

In all of these varied circumstances, Peter pointed to the glories of their heavenly inheritance as the incentive to help them endure through their sufferings. Or, in other words, “Eschatology” comes with an “Ethic.” For us, we can find the same thought process for any of the trials what we face in life. To used Paul’s language in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." If you are facing your various trials in your life, look to the glories of heaven. If you are experiencing marriage difficulties, look to the glories of heaven. If you are having financial difficulties, look to the glories of heaven. where you will not lack anything. If you are having conflicts at work or in your extended family, look to the glories of heaven. If you are tempted to think that the Christian life isn’t worth it, look to the glories of heaven.

This all shows how vast the applications of eschatology are. In fact, I believe, that you can apply “end times” to every circumstance in your life. Suppose a temptation comes upon you. An understanding of the end times will help you, as you consider the consequences of your actions on the day of judgment. Suppose that you are discouraged or depressed. An understanding of the end times will help you as you consider all that is laid up for you in heaven through Jesus. Suppose that you are considering a significant life choice: marriage or school or job or the place where you choose to live. An understanding of the end times will help you as you weigh the rewards that await you for following in faithfulness to Christ. Suppose that you are fearful or anxious about the future. An understanding of the end times will help you, as you see that God has the future under control. His sovereignty in future events can you trust him in your life today. That’s why, I believe that application is always present whenever the Bible speaks about eschatology. It has a way of applying to every area of our lives.

With that as a long introduction, let’s turn to our focus this morning: the Old Testament. Now, what we have done in my previous messages is look at passages from specific people in the New Testament. We only looked at a portion of what Paul has to tell us about eschatology. The same is true with Jesus. We only looked at one of the gospel account.

The same is certainly true regarding the Old Testament. There are simply way too many passages in the Old Testament that speak about the coming of the LORD and the eternal judgment, for us to look at. We are going to focus our attention this morning to one book of the Bible, the book of Isaiah. I invite you to open in your Bibles to Isaiah. I encourage you to read along as we look at the various passages in Isaiah. Even with choosing just one book of the Bible, there is no way that we can even begin to talk about all of the times when Isaiah speaks about the future event. My guess is that we might get to 5% of Isaiah’s eschatological passages? Because, Isaiah was a prophet, and prophets often told of future events.

However, like all of the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah was much more of a “preacher” than a “predictor of future events.” His primary burden was to preach repentance to the people of his day. You can see this in the very first chapter of Isaiah. So look at chapter 1. After giving his historical setting in verse 1, Isaiah begins his message.

Isaiah 1:2-5
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the LORD has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”

Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the LORD,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.

Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?

This sets up the entire book. Isaiah is writing to a rebellious people, the people of Judah. All of his prophesy is calling them to repent. Isaiah is writing to a religious people, but their hearts are far from the LORD. In verse 10, Isaiah compares them with the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were destroyed by the LORD. Look at verse 10.

Isaiah 1:10
Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!

Because of their wicked hearts, the LORD won’t accept their religious deeds.

Isaiah 1:11-15
"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the LORD;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.

“When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.

Their religious deeds weren’t saving them, because God was weary of bearing them (verse 14). Their great need comes in verse 16.

Isaiah 1:16 -17
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.

That’s Isaiah’s call to them to repent. Rather than focusing upon their religious efforts to please God, they ought to be focusing upon turning from evil (verse 16), and doing good (verse 17). The good news comes in verse 18.

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.

This is the good news of the gospel: sins forgiven! You can experience it if you simply come to God! Your sins can be washed away and you can be made clean! Not through your religious efforts, but through seeking the LORD and the forgiveness that he gives! Then the promise of blessing and cursing:

Isaiah 1:19-20
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

If the people would only turn to the LORD and trust in him, all would be well. But if they continued in their rebellion, they would face the terrible consequences of death.

Isaiah 1:20
... for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Now, these words are not talking about end times, but they do set up the entire flavor of the book of Isaiah. He is calling the religious, but rebellious people of Judah, to repent and to turn to God! In other words, when Isaiah was preaching his messages, he wasn’t preaching them to a church. He wasn’t preaching to a gathering of favorable believers. For the most part, he was preaching to the unsaved people of Israel, calling them to seek the LORD, where forgiveness and grace and mercy could be found.

I say that, because, as I studied the book of Isaiah this week, I found some passages that speak of end times, but specific application in the immediate passage was nowhere to be found. But, I believe, the greater context of Isaiah would easily bring application as Isaiah’s entire motive for preaching was to bring about repentance. Now, having said that, there are plenty of passages where the eschatology comes with an ethic in the immediate context. This morning, we can only look at a few.

Let’s begin with Isaiah, chapter 2.

Isaiah 2:1-4
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

This is Isaiah’s vision of the future of Judah and Jerusalem. The country (and city) will be so exalted that all will come and seek the LORD. All will come, longing to be taught the ways of the LORD. It will be a great time of peace when nations no longer war against one another. This is talking about the end times, perhaps, even, a vision of eternity, in the new heaven and new earth. What does Isaiah say in the very next verse?

Isaiah 2:5
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD.

In other words, in light of the end times when all will be at peace, “let us walk in the light of the LORD.” There’s the clear application. It comes straight to us as well. Seeing that there will be a day when all are seeking to be taught the will of God, let us walk this day in his light. There is the ethics of eschatology. Let’s continue on in chapter 2. Let’s begin looking at verse 12.

Isaiah 2:12-19
For the LORD of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
against all the cedars of Lebanon,
lofty and lifted up;
and against all the oaks of Bashan;
against all the lofty mountains,
and against all the uplifted hills;
against every high tower,
and against every fortified wall;
against all the ships of Tarshish,
and against all the beautiful craft.
And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
And the idols shall utterly pass away.
And people shall enter the caves of the rocks
and the holes of the ground,
from before the terror of the LORD,
and from the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to terrify the earth.

This is talking about the final day of judgment. when all the pride of men will be brought low. The destruction of everything that mankind has ever built, from buildings to boats, it will all be destroyed. Any idol that is in the land will be “utterly” destroyed (verse 18). So terrible will this day be that people will go deep into the earth to hide themselves from the LORD. Isaiah continues in verse 20.

Isaiah 2:20
In that day mankind will cast away
their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
which they made for themselves to worship,
to the moles and to the bats,
to enter the caverns of the rocks
and the clefts of the cliffs,
from before the terror of the LORD,
and from the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to terrify the earth.

Again, the terror of the presence of the LORD will be so great that men will forsake the idols they have above ground to go beneath the earth to hid from God’s presence. Then, in verse 22 comes the simple application:

Isaiah 2:22
Stop regarding man
in whose nostrils is breath,
for of what account is he?

In light of the coming judgment of God, when he alone will be exalted, why would you regard man as something great? Or, to use the words of Isaiah 2:22, "of what account is [man]?" In other words, don’t look at the world today and what it is. Look at the world as it will be: destroyed by the power of God. If the world is going to be destroyed in this way, why are you looking to men as something great? Look to the LORD, who alone is mighty and powerful! Here again is the pattern that we see throughout all of the Bible. Eschatology, the thing of the end times, always brings with it an Ethic, an application to our lives.

There are so many passages in Isaiah that illustrate the application of end times, that it’s difficult to choose one. Let’s turn to Isaiah, chapter 10. This chapter isn’t technically about “eschatology” in the sense that it’s talking about the end of time. But to those in Judah it was talking about “future things.” The LORD showed that he was in control of all of it. Verse 5 begins by describing the great and powerful nation of Assyria, and how they will come and destroy Israel. Let’s begin in verse 5.

Isaiah 10:5-6
Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;
the staff in their hands is my fury!
Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

There are two nations mentioned in these verses: The first is Assyria. The second is described as “a godless nation.” This “godless nation” was the people of Israel. It was those who had rebelled against the Lord. These verses tell us that the LORD was going to raise up Assyria, to come against Israel and destroy them. That’s why he called Assyria, “the rod of my anger.” God’s righteous wrath against his disobedient people, was worked through Assyria. Assyria was prideful, thinking that their power was their own power. Look at verse 13.

Isaiah 10:13-14
For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
and plunder their treasures;
like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
or opened the mouth or chirped.”

Such was the arrogance of Assyria. They thought that the power was entirely in their hands. In verse 15, the LORD sets it straight.

Isaiah 10:15
Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

Assyria was nothing but an instrument of God’s choosing to bring the promised curses upon his people for their disobedience. In verses 16-19, the LORD describes how he will, in turn, destroy Assyria.

Isaiah 10:16
Therefore the Lord God of hosts
will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,
and under his glory a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire.
The light of Israel will become a fire,
and his Holy One a flame,
and it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers in one day.
The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
that a child can write them down.

In other words, the LORD will destroy to glory of Assyria. He’s going to wipe out the forests of Assyria. The trees are going to be so few that a child could number them. Then the LORD describes how this will turn some to himself. He calls them “the remnant.”

Isaiah 10:20-23
In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

Destruction is coming! But a few will return! Then, in verse 24, comes the application.

Isaiah 10:24-26
Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt.

The future events of Israel’s destruction was foretold. God says, “Do not be afraid of them.” God says, “I will destroy them and bring them to an end.” In other words, “Do not be afraid, because I am in control.” “Assyria is going to come against your friends in the north. But I have everything under control.” In history this all came about. Assyria came and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. And then God turned around and destroyed that nation after it has served God’s purposes.

God called Judah to trust in him and his ways. Not to fear this mighty nation coming upon them, but to realize that it’s all under control. If we think about an application for us, we can think about our “future things.” Jesus spoke about the “wars and rumors of wars” that will come in the future (Matthew 24:6). Just as Israel was told not to fear because God has it all under control, so also we ought not to fear because God has it all under control.

The wars in Ukraine and in Gaza may not threaten our security today, but all it takes is one nuclear bomb and the reality of World War III is very real. We must believe that God has it all under control. He will accomplish all of his purposes through these countries. He was able to do it with Assyria. He certainly can do it with Russia and Israel today. So, don’t fear. This is the application of this sort of eschatology in Isaiah’s day. It’s the application for us in our day.

OK, let’s turn to one last passage in Isaiah to show this principle, of how eschatology always has an ethic. Let’s go to Isaiah 40. This passage is a familiar one to many of you. It was entirely future for those in Isaiah’s day. It was fulfilled in the days of the New Testament but has a hint of future fulfillment for us as well. Isaiah begins the chapter with these words:

Isaiah 40:1-2
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.

Isaiah’s day was a day of political upheaval. We saw in chapter 10 the threat of Assyria, which came to pass exactly as told. But Babylon was soon to come upon Judah. As history bears out, Babylon came and conquered Judah, taking many away captive. Now, Judah wasn’t totally destroyed. They came back as a nation and rebuilt Jerusalem and the nation. But that was all future to those in Isaiah’s day.

Chapter 40 comes as a word to future Jerusalem. “Comfort her” (verse 1), because “her warfare is ended.” This is still future for us. For even in these days, the warfare in Jerusalem continues on as we speak, with the war in Gaza. Verse 3 then speaks about the forerunner.

Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

This prophesy was fulfilled in John the Baptist, who was the voice, preparing the way of the LORD. He prepared the way for Jesus. He called the people of Israel to repentance. He is baptizing them in response to their repentance. Skip down to verse 9. Here is where we see the application.

Isaiah 40:9
Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!"

Here he is! As Jesus walked among us, showing us his glory and his grace! It is he who brought good news to us! He was the one who loved us and cared for us. He was the one who died for us. He was the one who justified us by faith. He was the one who has reconciled us to God.

The application here in light of the future where there's going to be a day where there is going to be peace in Jerusalem. There is going to be a day where the Messiah is going to come. He's going to be there and we are going to see his glory. What is our application? We need not fear and we need to tell others “Behold your God!” It's a little taste of Eschatology and what we should be about. We should be about seeing this Christ who will as verse 11 says:

Isaiah 40:11
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

There is the tender care of Jesus, caring for us like the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23. There is a little bit of a taste of Eschatology and what Isaiah and the prophets speak about. What all the Bible speaks about. Whenever there is Eschatology there is always an ethic to live by. In light of the coming of Christ, in light of what we've seen of his glory, we should be telling others of him! "Behold Jesus!" We shouldn't fear. Our warfare has ended. My encouragement to you is when you read from the scriptures, remember to look for where the application in eschatology is. If you hear others preaching about Eschatology and not having any application, know they've missed the thrust and flow of the Bible to apply the implications of the end times to our lives.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on May 12, 2024 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.