Though hail comes down on the forest, God’s people will live in a peaceful habitation.

Isaiah 32:16-20

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.” Isaiah 32:16

“Then” refers to what happened as described in the post on Isaiah 32:12-15, which is when the Holy Spirit was poured out, the Gospel spread worldwide, and Heaven became filled like a forest of born-again Believers.

For justice to live in the wilderness refers to unbelievers living in the wilderness of this world, without Jesus Christ. But Jesus brought justice to them, all of us, by the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection of life. He gave His life on the Cross within His purpose to redeem us to God. By the remission of sin, the Holy Spirit is given, and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance…” Ephesians 1:13-14 We know we have the Holy Spirit when we do not speak against Jesus Christ and we say that He is Lord, as quoted, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

Our Lord Jesus says, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16

Righteousness remains in the fruitful field refers to the righteousness Christ Jesus remaining within us, whose faith is in Him. Righteousness can be easy to understand when we considering what Jesus says about the righteousness of the Pharisees, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 The scribes and Pharisees lived by external appearances, but the righteousness of Believers comes from the heart through the Spirit. Jesus says this about the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthe w23:27 The righteousness of Believers comes from the inner beauty of the Holy Spirit which gives life in the spirit. “…first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matthew 23:16 Click for Matthew 23.

“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” Isaiah 32:17

The work of righteousness is not those that come from external appearances, services, and charity that can be seen by everybody, but comes from the Holy Spirit living within our heart and soul. The righteousness of Christ brings peace from within, not through physical efforts, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Peace comes through the work of righteousness by resting from outward efforts, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:26-27

The effect of that inner righteousness is given from Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and brings quietness and assurance forever. That quietness is the meek and gentle spirit of peace living in us through the Holy Spirit. The eternal assurance is given by the Holy Spirit of our eternal inheritance, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance…” Ephesians 1:13-14 “Do not let your adornment be merely outward…rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God…”  1 Peter 3:3–4 

“My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,” Isaiah 32:18

That peaceful habitation is in the eternal New Jerusalem, when the new heaven and earth are created. Heaven is a secure and quiet resting place. In this world, there will always be tribulation, as our Lord Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 The road to eternal life is a narrow and difficult one, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14

Our Lord Jesus has prepared a place for us in the peaceful, secure, and quiet resting place, as quoted, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:1-6

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There will be no more pain, for the former things have passed away…And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there will be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they will reign forever and ever.” Revelations 20:4, Revelations 22:1-5

“Though hail comes down on the forest, and the city is brought low in humiliation.” Isaiah 32:19

The forest is described in the post on Isaiah 32:12-15, and as quoted, “Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest.” Isaiah 32:15 The forest is the Believers who are living in the presence of the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus. The “hail” coming down on the forest is affliction, difficulties, persecution, and tribulation of all sorts. In other words, the “hail” comes down upon the followers of Jesus Christ within this world.

The city is the congregation of Believers in this world that is brought low in humiliation, as quoted, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:7-8 The churches have fallen and have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ to partner with community values. They reflect community activity instead of being a reflection of Christ Jesus. Government lawmakers no longer embrace the value of the Bible when making laws and policies. The educational system no longer allows the values of the Bible to be taught in classrooms. The Gospel of Jesus is not wanted in any sector of society.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we experience all sorts of affliction from day-to-day, and especially when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians in countries around the world are already experiencing imprisonment and death for living for Jesus Christ. We are living in a world where the beast is present that operates by the power of darkness within physiology to give people what to say, do, think, and feel. Today’s culture, which is global, considers it abominable to believe in God the Creator, to recognize Jesus as the Christ and Savior of this world, and to embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit. The beast they serve has only one purpose, to give breath/life to the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people. Those people are conformed to the mark, name, number of the beast by what they are given to say and do.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:18-20 To be chosen out of this world is not to be removed from this planet, but to be separated from friendship with the world, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. “For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.” Revelations 18:4-6 We are to come apart from this world as the Lord vows to bring the wrath of His judgment on them.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” John 17:15-16

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

“Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.” Isaiah 32:20

We who sow beside all waters are we who share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart. No one is excluded from the Salvation plan…God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is for all “waters”. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The feet of the oxen symbolize service and sacrifice, and the feet of the donkey are those of humility, compared to the feet of powerful stallions. As followers of Jesus Christ, we dedicate ourselves to the service of humbly bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whosoever. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7 That is quoted in Romans 10:15.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1