jasoncran said:
vet is it possible that the ac is used by the lord to purge the unbeliever and to draw the ones that will come to the lord to do so?
Is The LORD going to use the AC to draw more to Christ Jesus? I wouldn't put it in those words exactly, for the dragon is going to be used as a punishing rod, to do a pruning of the rebellious, which is a Biblical idea of how God uses Satan. I can't well summarize how our LORD shows that, but Isaiah 10 gives a lesson on this.
In Isaiah 14 God uses both the king of Babylon and the Assyrian as types for Lucifer. He does this also in Ezekiel 28 and 31, and also here in Isaiah 10. In other words, He applies Satan's working in whole as a shadow for how the flesh kings of Babylon and Assyria worked. That's why at the end of Isaiah 30 God uses the title of "the Assyrian" in actually applied to Satan perishing in Tophet (symbolic of the lake of fire). So in reading the following, also think of Satan as the one God is metaphorically speaking of when He mentions the Assyrian.
Isa 10:5-27
5 O Assyrian, the rod of Mine anger, and the staff in their hand is Mine indignation.
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
God is Who sends him as a punishing rod upon the rebellious, even the rebellious of His people. The LORD has given him permission to take a spoil and a prey as punishment. It's not upon God's people who love Him, and who seek Him. But like God shows, Satan can't help himself in his heart, and he tends to go too far in accomplishing what God sends him to do.
8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
God is showing how Satan is bragging.
Calno ('fortress of Anu') was a place in ancient Assyria, and Carchemish ('fortress of Chemosh') in Syria, as also Hamath ('fortress') and Arpad ('I shall be spread out') are places in Syria. Note the meanings of those names, they're an important part of God's Message here. They refer to ideas of strength in false idol worship, and it's spreading forth. Hamath is a specific pointer to a branch of Israel's enemies.
But Samaria ('watch mountain'), is about a city in northern Israel, among the dwelling of the ten tribes, and later capital city of the house of Israel after God split Israel in two and made Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim king over the ten tribes at Samaria. Jeroboam then setup two golden calf idols in false worship, one at Dan and another at Bethel. Bethel (house of God) was one of the early resting places of the Ark of The Covenant. It was where Jacob dreamt upon the stone seeing angels ascending and descending, a place of special significance for Israel. Satan is comparing Samaria with Damascus, kind of like a slap in God's face.
10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
Here Satan brags that as his hand has founded the kingdoms of idol worship, none excelled more in worship of graven images than Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
Then God replies that as the judgments He brought upon Samaria, He shall also judge Jerusalem's idols also. Note the time when The LORD "hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and Jerusalem" is when He will also punish Satan (i.e., put as the king of Assyria here). That's a future time pointer; a prophetic pointer that reveals all this is not just about the historical kings of Assyria, nor of just Israel of history, but for all the way to the end of this world. This is how we know God is also applying this prophecy about Satan, and definitely the antichrist coming to Jerusalem in our near future.
13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
Satan continues his boasting in the above.
15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
This is important; God is speaking here. Can the axe boast against the one who formed it? Or can the saw magnify itself against the one using it as a tool? It would be as if the rod could shake itself against the one using it, or as if a staff of wood could stand up on its own, as if it were not wood. What's the idea?
That's an analogy of God using Satan as that axe, as that saw, as a rod, all for the purpose of punishment upon the rebellious.
16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
The above is a major endtime event. It's about the day of The LORD when Christ returns, the elements (man's works) will melt. God is going to send a time of leanness upon the haughty of His people. It's main purpose will be to burn up Satan's thorns and briers, and it will happen in one day. That's about the destruction of Satan's servants that have crept in among God's people, those who cause God's people to fall away from Him. This relates to the parable of the tares of the field our Lord Jesus foretold (Matt.13). The tares are going to burn in the lake of fire with Satan at the end.
18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
That's still about God's judgment upon the wicked at the end of this world.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
It should be very clear that the above prophecy has not happened yet. That's about the end of this world, and into God's Eternity. That's another pointer here to show this Message is not just historical about the king of Assyria.
23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in their destruction.
God reveals that His anger is in "their" destruction, meaning His enemies, not upon the faithful of His people who love Him. He tells us to not be afraid of Satan (the Assyrian), even though he may smite us with a rod and lift up his staff against us.
26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as His rod was upon the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
(KJV)
That's about the defeat of the antichrist. God compared His work upon Egypt in Moses' day to another major deliverance of His people for the last days (Jer.16:14-15).
So the idea is, God is going to use the antichrist to do pruning with, even among His own people.
This is why I take so much pains in trying to warn God's people about the coming time of deception into false worship to the false messiah, which God's enemies among His people will proclaim to the deceived as our Lord Jesus or Messiah. The LORD warns of that final event in both Old and New Testament Books. The Book of Isaiah has a section of chapters some scholars call 'The Apocalypse of Isaiah', for those chapters parallel the Revelation events about the end of this world.
