Isaiah 40:12-31

Isaiah 40:12–17

- The first 4 rhetorical questions Isaiah asked in verse 12 are as follows:

1.   Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?

2. Or, with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

3.  Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket?

4.  Or, weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

The answers to these questions all point to God, our Father.

- The next 6 questions Isaiah asks are as follows:

1. Who has understood the mind of the LORD?

2. Or, instructed him as his counselor?

3. Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him?

4. Who taught him the right way?

5. Who was it that taught him knowledge?

6. Or, showed him the path of understanding?

The answers to these questions point to no one but God himself.

- Isaiah, through the above 10 questions, are pointing out that no one but God has the power to do the things that God alone can do. God is the creator of all, and no one is above God.

- The attribute of God mentioned in verse 12 reveals the magnificence of God, for example, the ability to measure water with His hand, to hold the dust of the earth, to weigh the mountains, etc.

- The power of the nations, when compared to God’s, are meager. Before God, all nations are nothing.

Isaiah 40:18–20

- The kind of people described by Isaiah is that of those who believes in other gods and idols as opposed to the one and only God.

- Idols of silver and gold are made by the hands of men. These idols cannot speak, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot smell, cannot feel, cannot walk. Idol-makers will thus resemble such idols. People who trust in these idols will also resemble them.

Jeremiah 10:8–16

- People who believe in idols are senseless and foolish, taught by the worthless wooden idols. But only the Lord is the one true God, a living God, our eternal King. No idol can ever measure up to God. These idols are frauds and worthless. The Lord is the one and only God who made the earth, founded the world. God will destroy such idols and the people who believe in them.

Habakkuk 2:18–19

- Idols have no value, for it is created by man. Man, as we all know, are not perfect, and therefore, idols created in the image of man cannot possibly teach man anything he does not already know. How can such idols provide any guidance? They cannot. They have no life. They have no wisdom.

- God is different from these idols because God was not created by the people, and God was certainly not created in the image of man. In fact, God is the creator of all and created man in His image. God thus is the source of the life that we have in us, and He provides us with the guidance we need to grow in Him. Since we come from God, only God can grant us the wisdom we need to move past the difficulties that we face in life. Nothing we make can ever provide us with any profound inspiration that surpasses our meager intellectual capacity.

Isaiah 40:21–26

- Isaiah reveals that God’s Word has been “clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20). God’s place in the world, His power, His love, His magnificence, etc. have all been told from the beginning, from the day that earth was founded. Consequences of straying away are all revealed in the Word of God, nothing are hidden. And so, come Judgment Day, man has no excuse for his choice in leaving God, in ignoring God’s ignorance, and every man will answer to such a choice.

- Isaiah tells the people to look to the Heavens to understand the greatness of God, for God created all things. “He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.”

- There is no comparison to God; there is no equal to God.

Isaiah 40:27–31

- From verse 27, exiles in Babylon may complain about how their way is hidden from the Lord, that their cause is regarded by the Lord.

- Isaiah, in response, comforts these exiles by telling them that the Lord is our everlasting God, one who will never grow tired or weary, one who will, instead give strength to the weary. Those who place their trust in the Lord will therefore be renewed in their strength by God and soar like eagles.

- In order to receive the promises of strength and power, we need faith, as defined in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” From Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” I believe this is so because if we do not sincerely place our faith in God, if we do not wholeheartedly trust God, how can we expect to receive anything good from God? If we do not believe in what we do not see, yet at the same time, we expect such an unknown power to grant us all the good that has been promised, is this not the perfect example of self-centeredness, of absolute selfishness? If we wish to be sheltered by God, we must therefore first choose to return to Him, to fully trust Him. Only when we form a strong bond with God, can we then understand the significance of our receipt of the promises of strength and power.

- Because God is the Creator of the ends of the earth, because God is our everlasting Lord, God’s promise of strength and power will allow His people to soar like eagles forever.

Isaiah 40:1-11

Isaiah 39:1–40:2

- According to Merriam-Webster, comfort means 1) to give strength and hope to; 2) to ease the grief or trouble of

- These words were spoken tenderly to the Israelites. These words are comforting because God is telling them that all their sins have been paid for, and that “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.”

- These people need words of comfort because they have been tested for centuries. Isaiah has prophesied that the Israelites will not hear the word of God until the end of days. These people have thus been without God for a very long period of time, living a very hard life. Words of comfort from the Lord would thus be critical in welcoming the Israelites home.

Isaiah 40:3–5

- The messenger called the people to prepare the way for the Lord, because the Lord is coming, and “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” The glory of God will be revealed, and all will see it.

Matthew 3:1–5

John 1:23

Isaiah 40:3–5

- We are told to prepare the way for the Lord. This means, we should confess our sins and bear in mind that God will be our judge.

Exodus 24:17

- The glory of the Lord looked like a “consuming fire on top of the mountain” to the Israelites.

Luke 2:9

- The glory of the Lord was revealed as a ray of light in the form of an angel.

Matthew 17:1–8

- The glory of the Lord is Jesus, who was transfigured. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”

Hebrews 1:3

- Again, the glory of the Lord is Jesus, His Son. 

- The people can see the glory of the Lord in the Word. The Word is Jesus. The Word is the Bible.

Isaiah 40:6–8

- People are like flowers and grass because, like flowers and grass, our bodies (and even our spirits) wither and fall.

- People make mistakes. People are not perfect, and therefore, we all fall and err at one time or another. God, however, is perfect. His Word, therefore, is perfect and will never wither and fall like people.

Isaiah 40:9–11

- The messenger brings good tidings should go up to a mountain, lift up his voice with a shout, and not be afraid. The messenger is instructed to say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” Essentially, the messenger is to proclaim the good news to all the people, to tell them of the God that loves them and protects them.

- According to Merriam-Webster, “reward” means “to give an award to someone or something for something good that has been done.” “Recompense” is a similar concept to reward, and it is defined as, “to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred); to pay for.”

- “His reward” and “His recompense” is Jesus Christ, His one and only Son. The death and the blood of Jesus Christ is the price to pay for our sins. Because of Jesus, we can now return to God’s side. And thus, to be a follower of Christ, to place our trust in God, redemption is our reward.

Isaiah 36-39

Isaiah 36

2 Kings 18:1–16

- The main events of Hezekiah’s reign prior to the events of Isaiah 36 are as follows:

- He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke the bronze snake Moses had made, because the Israelites had been burning incense to it.

- Hezekiah placed his trust in the Lord and was the greatest king known to man. He was faithful to God and never ceased to follow God’s commands.

- He rebelled against the King of Assyria.

- He defeated the Philistines.

- King of Assyria went to war with Samaria and defeated it.

- In Isaiah 10:5-11, Isaiah prophesied that Assyria would capture Jerusalem because of Jerusalem’s lack of trust in God.

- The overall theme of the Assyrian field commander’s message is to have Hezekiah follow Assyria. Assyrians do not believe in the Lord and mock the Lord’s ability to protect His people. The commander thus urges Hezekiah to give up his trust in God and to follow King of Assyria.

- Hezekiah’s officials ask the field commander to speak in Aramaic and not in Hebrew so that the conversation could remain only between themselves.

- The field commander speaks to Hezekiah’s men hoping to diminish their trust in King Hezekiah and their faith in God.

Isaiah 36:14–15

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah cannot deliver his people and that no one should trust in the Lord.

Isaiah 36:16

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah will not be able to save them. The only person who could save them is the King of Assyria. If they choose to follow King of Assyria, these followers would live in peace and prosperity.

Isaiah 36:18

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah misled them all when he told them, “The Lord will deliver us.” The field commander puts doubt into these people minds by asking them, “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the King of Assyria?” 

- Hezekiah’s men either had to surrender and follow King of Assyria or die.

Isaiah 37:1–20

- Hezekiah was extremely distressed and saddened when he heard the news from his officials. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, signifying a great tragedy has occurred, and he is mourning. He then went into the temple of the Lord, suggesting he was in deep prayer in search for God’s guidance.

- Isaiah reassured King Hezekiah. Isaiah shared with them God’s message, which essentially tells the people not to be afraid. What the Assyrians have said is not true, and for blasphemy against God, the Assyrians will be punished. God will cut them down with the sword.

- Sennacherib also taunted King Hezekiah. Assyria had a notorious reputation for conquering nations, and all other nations fear it. Sennacherib thus warns Hezekiah to side with Assyria. To think that they will not fall is ridiculous. They should not place their trust in God, because not once has Assyria failed to conquer a nation!

- When Hezekiah heard such a message, he did not panic like all the leaders of other nations did. Instead, Hezekiah held fast to his faith in God; he continued to place his trust in the Lord. At such times of chaos and great stress, Hezekiah thus prayed. Hezekiah never once forgot that God is the only ruler over Heaven and Earth. No matter how bad a situation is, God will always be able to protect His people, because God is the ruler of all! Hezekiah acknowledges that Assyria has destroyed the gods of other nations. Leaders of these nations thus fear Assyria because they saw that their gods could not protect them from Assyria. However, Hezekiah knew better. Hezekiah knew that these gods were nothing but “wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. But Hezekiah knew there is only one God, and that God is watching over His children. Knowing all this, Hezekiah thus prayed to God to set things right.

Isaiah 37:21–38

- God’s message through Isaiah reconfirms that God will deliver His people. For those who spoke against God, who blasphemed against God, they will be severely punished. This revelation encourages us to trust God because God is a loving father who protects His children from harm. God is above all. Nothing is impossible for Him, and no human thing can ever overcome him. When facing humanly enemies and obstacles, it is thus very easy to place our trust in the Lord, because even though these things will be extremely difficult to overcome by ourselves, we know that with God’s guidance and protection, we can easily overcome them.

- God promised to give Hezekiah the following sign: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” God then interprets these signs for Hezekiah, “Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.”

Hence, what was prophesied by Isaiah would all come true. Jerusalem was punished for its lack of faith in God. It would be cut down by Assyria as prophesied. However, a remnant will remain and will grow eventually to be God’s people.

- God spoke also of His plan for the King of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city.” God thus went on to defeat the Assyrian army by sending an angel to put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. And just as God said, “By the way that he came he will return,” King Assyria was cut down with the sword by his own sons.

  

Isaiah 38–39.

2 Kings 20:7–8

2 Chronicles 32:24–26

- Hezekiah was saddened by the coming of his death and so he prayed to God. God heard Hezekiah’s prayers and gave him an extra 15 years of life. God also promised to deliver them all from King Assyria and that He will defend this city and His people.

- The general concept is that when we disobey God, we will be punished. When we follow God, we will reap the benefits. We will be protected, and things will proceed smoothly.

To many people, this doesn’t sound like a loving God. This sounds more like a tyrant who forces people to listen to him, because if they don’t, then he will use his powers to inflict pain and to use that pain to force people to do what he asks.

But having spent so much time studying the Bible, we ought to know that scenario is simply not true. Parents discipline their children. Why? Because children don’t start immediately aware of what’s right and what’s wrong. Parents must protect their children from harm while teaching them to do the right thing at the same time. Many times, conflicts arise because children think they are mature enough to go out and do their own thing (prideful), whereas parents forbid them to do so because they know the children would get hurt. God is exactly like that. He must discipline us when we become too proud, yet as long as we continue to follow His guidance, we will be able to benefit from His powerfully protective love.

- The Lord warned Hezekiah that because of his reception of the Babylonian envoys, his kingdom will one day fall into the hands of the Babylonians.

2 Chronicles 36:15–20

Daniel 1

- The Babylonians, under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar, indeed besieged Jerusalem and carried to Babylon “ all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the king and his officials.” (2 Chronicles 36: 18-19)

Isaiah 34-35

Isaiah 34:1–7

- Isaiah is speaking to God.

- God’s judgment extends from Heaven to Earth.

- God will judge evil by completely destroying all that is evil.

Genesis 25:24–34; 27:41

Numbers 20:14–21

Obadiah 8–12

- The relationship between Edom and Israel and Judah begins with the brothers Esau and Jacob. They are twins, with Esau being born first. However, Jacob eventually cunningly forces Esau to give up his birthright. Ever since then Jacob has been aided in gaining the favor of the convenant with God made through Abraham to Isaac. Esau thus holds a grudge and has vowed to kill both his mother and Jacob. And God has announced His plan to destroy Edom due to such violence against Jacob.

Israel and Judah are descendents of Jacob, whereas Edom is the descendent of Esau.

- God shows extreme anger toward sinners and their sins, as it has been said, “He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.” (Isaiah 34:3)

- God is perfect. Sin is an imperfection, and anyone who has sinned cannot be in the presence of our perfect Father.

- We are often told that we are punished for our sins. Well, what does that mean exactly? God speaks of many punishments, and it has been well documented throughout the Bible that any nation or any people or any person who disregards God’s guidance would be destroyed. This, I believe, is the major type of punishment people think of when they think about God’s punishment.

Well, I’d like to look at it from another perspective.

God is perfect. It’s not like He tries to be perfect or aims for perfection. God just is perfect. God is perfection. And so, anything that is in His presence must also be perfect. This is the main reason why after Adam and Eve have sinned, we humans have not been able to return to Heaven, to our Father’s side—because we carry the Sin they have committed, making us also imperfect and not good enough to enter God’s Kingdom. In a sense, not being able to return to God is a punishment in itself. I would argue that’s the biggest punishment of all—the punishment that stemmed from the Original Sin.

- The 4 gospels especially focus on how Jesus Christ saves us from our past, present, and future sins.

Isaiah 34:8–17

- God’s vengeance is to right any injustice but welcomes home His children as long as they choose to (hence, the concept of grace). Human vengeance often spurs from revenge.

- God’s vengeance against Edom will result in Edom burning in sulfur, her land burning to a pitch, with smoke rising forever. Edom will be desolate forever, with no one to occupy the space ever again.

- The day of the Lord’s vengeance is as certain as any of God’s promises, for it has been documented in the Scroll.

Isaiah 35:1–7

- God’s restored world will be a place of joy, blossom, and splendor.

- Isaiah 35:3-6 encourages those who are weary or gripped with fear that God will come, and He will come with vengeance to save those who are righteous and have been wronged.

Matthew 11:1–6

- Jesus uses Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 35:5-6 to show that He has fulfilled the prophesy spoken by Isaiah, that He makes the blind see, the lame walk, the diseased cured, the deaf hear, and the dead raised.

Isaiah 35:5–6

- The 4 gospels documents how Jesus often emphasizes the importance to faith. As long as the people believe in Jesus and that He is the Christ, our savior, their faith will save them, including physical handicaps.

Isaiah 35:8–10

- According to Merriam-Webster, “redeem” means “to buy back,” “to win back,” “to release from debt,” or “to atone for.”

1 Peter 1:18–19

- Jesus Christ is a Redeemer because His sacrificial death and His blood atoned for our sins. Because of Jesus, we are able to be made perfect again and return to God’s side. (Perfect, not in the sense of our inherent perfection, but in the sense of the amazing power of Jesus’ blood that can redeem us from our sins—not just past sins, but present and future sins as well.)

- The “Way of Holiness” is a path for the clean. It is a path that follows the Way as dictated by God, a path that wicked fools will not be able to follow. On this path, there will be no beasts, for it is a safe path for those who have been redeemed by the Lord. This path leads to Zion, a place of everlasting joy.

- God’s final day of wrath is saved for those who stubbornly refuse to follow His Way.

Before I became a Christian, I have always been a bit uncomfortable with this concept—in fact, a bit insulted. To me at that time, Christianity seemed like an insurance policy, with God as its ultimate salesman: Trust in me, and you will not die a horrible death. (Please forgive me for this very crude and disgusting analogy, but there is a point coming.)

However, as I continued to understand Christianity, that’s really not the way to view Christian redemption!

There is a battle for souls since the day Satan betrayed God. Satan seduced Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, causing Adam and Eve to sin, tainting the entire human race with sin forever and ever. We were casted out of Heaven because only perfect beings can be in Heaven. However, since then, God has fought hard to guide His children home—“Guide” and not “coerce,” as this is a significant difference. To protect our free will, God has chosen not to reveal Himself. (If we see Him, we no longer have an actual free will to choose to believe in Him.)

And obviously, Satan continues to “recruit,” thus fighting against God, seducing as many souls onto his side as possible.

Yet, God is omniscient. God knows all of this was going to happen, and He knows what is going to happen. And thus, God has made it be known through prophesy that a day of Wrath is coming. This day MUST come because He will get rid of Satan once and for all (see Revelation). This day is not yet here because God is giving humans the time to hear His Message, to guide His people back Home. He so love us, His children, that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, to wash away our sins with His perfect blood, so that humans can once again set foot in Heaven.

With such a loving Father, One who forgives us even though we are not perfect and will never be perfect, even though we have sinned and will continue to sin, how can we turn away from His shelter?

Hear the message: The Day of Wrath will come. It will come, not “just” to punish the unbelievers. No. It will come because God will put an end to Satan’s evil deeds. Those who stubbornly refuse God’s shelter will be left out on the battle field and will unfortunately be destroyed along with Satan’s legion.

Christianity is not life insurance. Christianity is a choice to eternal Life, a defiant choice against Satan and his eternal Death.

Isaiah 28-33

Isaiah 28:1-8

The wreath of Ephraim is composed of prideful drunkards and will be trampled. It is a sight of the fading beauty of God’s glory.

Isaiah 28:9-15

Ephraim’s response to God’s words is annoyance, like a child who does not wish to be nagged by his parents. In truth though, God is telling Ephraim, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and “This is the place of repose.” Sadly, all they hear is, “Do this, do that,” because they do not want to hear what God has to say.

Isaiah 28:16-29

1 Peter 24:4-8

- If we place our trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ, we will be saved from eternal death and will never be put to shame. God will guide us, and as long as we choose to follow, we will be protected.

- Messages of hope given in the woe to Ariel include: 1) their enemies will become like fine dust; 2) all nations that fight against Ariel will be gone.

- It is foolish to hide things from the Lord because God made us all and therefore knows everything that is going on, even private thoughts in our heads.

- The Lord says, “Can the pot say of the potter, ‘He knows nothing?’” I think this is telling us that the pot (His children) cannot hide anything from the potter (God), because the potter DID make the pot. It is thus not unthinkable that the potter would know every blemish of the pot.

Isaiah 30

Deuteronomy 7:2–6

2 Corinthians 6:14–18

According to Merriam-Webster, “obstinate” means: perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion. Obstinate people therefore form alliances and carry out plans of their own purposes (as opposed to following the Word of God) without heeding any reasonable or logical thought. They form alliances based on their own wants and needs (self-centered), paying no attention to what is actually good for them.

Isaiah 30:8–17 

- This is a very powerful passage. It explicitly instructs Isaiah to write down the prophesy, for as the event comes true, the event itself would thus be “an everlasting witness.” Next, it predicts how rebellious and deceitful people would refuse to listen to the Lord’s instruction and would listen to only “pleasant things.”This thus is how obstinate people would behave. They listen to only what they want to hear in order to do what they want to do. They have little interest in doing the right thing and would ignore even the most basic common sense just to get what they want.

We should listen to… We should just LISTEN. Period.

We should open our minds and hearts to the Lord’s message and listen. We should refrain from tainting the message with our personal greed, our wants and needs. “In quietness and trust is your strength,” said the Lord. I believe this paints an inner state of mind where we are tranquil and calm because we trust the Lord and are open to His words. And only when we have such tranquility will we avoid being stirred up and overwhelmed by self-centered thoughts.

- God promised Judah that 1) it will weep no more; 2) God will answer to its cries of help; 3) it will be able to see its teachers and no longer be blind to them; 4) it will hear the Lord’s guidance; 5) it will defile its idols and do away with them for good; and 6) God will ensure prosperity of the land.

Isaiah 30:27-33

Assyria is no longer a threat to Judah because the Lord has already shattered it.

Isaiah 31–32

Exodus 12–15
Psalm 20:7

- Isaiah stresses it is futile to rely on “just” Egypt but “do not look to the Holy One of Israel” or to “seek help from God,” because “the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit.” That is, when we need help, we need a force that is stronger than man. And the only force that is stronger than man is God. We thus should place our trust in the Lord and not in things of the world.

These reasons are significant in light of Israel’s past history because whenever God’s people chose to trust in human things/power instead of the Lord, they fail.

- Instead of relying on Egypt and risk the danger of relying on man-based things, God promises salvation, justice, and peace to those who trusts Him. God’s people will be sheltered from anything and everything.

- I do not think Isaiah is making any “accusations” about the women of his time. I think Isaiah is talking to everyone through his advice to the women: 1) Harsh times are coming, and we therefore must not be complacent (hence, “Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists); 2) until “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,” the harsh times will not end, and so we must remain vigilant in the sense of making sure our hearts follow God (hence, Isaiah saying “My people”). Followers of God will “live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”

Insights from Pinnochio?

I had this inspiration in the shower last night.


There are a lot of parallels between Pinnochio and Christian concepts. Whether these parallels were meant to be there, we can only ask Walt Disney (or Carlo Collodi, who wrote "The Real Thing, The Original," the story that Disney reinterpreted to become our beloved Pinnochio).


- Pinnochio represents the human soul.
- Pinnochio's Father is God, the Father, the Maker of Pinnochio. (Of course, the fairy tale has an angel coming in to "breathe life into Pinnochio" but the general concept is there.)
- Father does everything he can to love Pinnochio, to teach him the Way. But of course, the Wolf (i.e., Satan) lures Pinnochio away, and encourages him to become, well, a donkey... to build his workforce. This concept is very similar to Satan (the Wolf) only wanting the human soul (Pinnochio) for his own power. Satan does not care about the human soul. To Satan, the human soul is just a tool to build his kingdom.
- Pinnochio gets eaten by the Whale (wow, the Bibilical story of Jonah, anyone?). (Yes, Pinnochio's Father was also eaten by the Whale, but these parallels aren't exact in the first place... so... slack, please... BUT!! God was with Jonah in the Whale. God is ALWAYS with us... so another way to look at this particular event could be that Father's physical presence in the Whale with Pinnochio symbolizes a personified God who was also in the Whale with Jonah.) And it was in the Whale that Pinnochio finally returns to Father (very similar to how Jonah also returned to God when he was swallowed up by the Whale).
- Despite all the wrongdoings and the betrayal of Pinnochio, Father still held his arms wide open to receive the coming home of his child, one who is already forgiven, even before Pinnochio asks for forgiveness (in parallel with the concept of Salvation).
- The physical transformations of Pinnochio vividly illustrates the changing of the goodness of the soul. When Pinnochio chose to side with the Wolf, he became a donkey. When Pinnochio chose love and to side with Father, Pinnochio transformed from a wooden boy to a real boy. These are parallels to the concept of the human soul going from a mortal state to an immortal state. 


The central idea of the story resonates, for me, with the central concept of becoming a Christian. We don't do it because we want/greed eternal life. Pinnochio didn't become a real boy just because he wanted to. From the inside out, he had to be cleansed by love (or the Holy Spirit). He learned it wasn't about wanting to be a real boy but about the simple and pure will to love Father and to remain by his side. (This was a very tough lesson to learn, as Pinnochio had to literally go through Hell to fully embrace the concept of love.) And because of this transformation of the mind/soul, his body was also transformed. That is, eternal life is a mere consequence of loving God. (I'm downplaying the concept of eternal life a bit here just to illustrate the relative importance of loving God versus eternal life, not to say eternal life is not important.)


We choose to be Christians because we are God's children, and we choose to go Home to God. God has sacrificed Jesus to ensure that all His children can return to Him. (Our imperfection prevents us from setting foot in the presence of His perfection, and Jesus' blood washes away such imperfection.) Eternal life, etc. are important, as we are Heirs to God's Kingdom, and we are thus blessed with such glory. However, such heirloom ought not be the driving force to return to God. Otherwise, would we not just be a bunch of materialistic, thankless, self-centered children who bicker and fight over our parents' inheritance? Where is the love in that? Where is the beauty in such a  relationship? Were we not taught by God to not get caught up with things of the world? We go back to God because we love Him, our Father. And in turn, we learn to love each other as brothers/sisters.


Christianity thus boils down to this simple concept: Love God, our Father.


And so, I think the Beatles really got it right when they sang, "Love, Love, Love is all you need."


** The ideas shared above are mine, not plagiarized nor researched, and so, if there are any similarities to other written works out there, then perhaps we were all inspired to share these thoughts. And of course, the above is not an attempt to decipher the message within Pinnochio, if there is one. It really all is just a brainstorm of ideas that came into my head last night as I was taking a shower.

Isaiah 25-27

Isaiah 25

- Isaiah is praising God for the things that God has made happen: for keeping His promises, for God’s faithfulness on delivering the things God has promised. God weakens the proud and strengthens the humble who steadfastly follow God. God protects His people and shelters them from harm. God is the ultimate refuge, and in God, we can truly trust.

- Isaiah 25:6, on this mountain, the Lord will prepare a great feast, the Lord will eradicate death all together, removing al tears and disgrace from His people. The people will thus praise God for this peace and joy, saying “We trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

For me, this is a very inspiring quote. It reminds us that faith is not just blind belief. Faith is trusting that God will deliver. These Biblical events are evidence of how God delivers on His promises. God has never broken His promises, and He never will. This is why despite all hardship, our best place of comfort is in the Lord. He is the ONLY being in the world who has not once disappointed His children. Even when we, His children, boldly defy Him, He continues to hold out His arms and urge us to come Home to Him (i.e., God’s salvation for human kind). To be offered a safe place to call Home despite all our imperfections, yes, let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation!

- God will bring down the pride of cleverness in the Moab.

Isaiah 26:1–6

- The city is a strong city, a city of the righteous and a nation that remains faithful. The people are peaceful, their minds steadfast and their hearts loyal to the Lord. The people place their trust steadily in the Lord, for they know the Lord is their Rock.

- According to Merriam and Webster, steadfast is defined as “immovable; not subject to change; firm in belief, determination, or adherence.” And so, a steadfast mind would be a mental state that will not alter easily due to outside influences or, shall we say, satanic/demonic temptations. The benefits of having a steadfast mind allow us to focus on our trust, our faith in God to resist evil forces that are trying to lure our souls.

There is a fierce war for our souls on Earth. Satan wants our souls for power, and God is offering us protection. All we have to do is choose to go Home and place our trust in Him.  And thus, our absolute faith in God is our only infallible weapon and armor against Satan. (See Ephesians 6:10-18 for a detailed description of the Armor of God.)

- Philippians 4:6-8, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

This passage encourages us to not be anxious about anything because of our steadfast trust in the Lord, that if we ever worry about anything, we communicate with God through thankful prayers. Despite human advances in technology, we are NOT omniscient, and we will NEVER be. We thus cannot always understand why things happen or why they don’t. And so, especially during such uncertain times, we should always remember back to God, our Rock, who has never once broken His promises, and rest assured knowing that He will continue to keep His promises with us. Prayer is the best communication. It is the most direct line of communication with God. Pray and He will answer. He always does.

- God will judge the lofty city by humbling them, by leveling it to the ground and casting it down to the dust.

Isaiah 26:7–21 and Psalm 1

- The righteous walks a path that is level and smooth, because the righteous follows the way of God’s laws. The righteous recognizes that everything they have accomplished, it is due to the Lord’s blessing. The righteous will be forever prosperous and will never wither. The righteous will be the ones who receive God’s salvation. These people will be sheltered when God punishes the people for their sins.

The wicked, on the other hand, ignores the path of the righteous even when shown grace. They continue to do evil things, disregarding God’s warnings. They are proud and believe they can outsmart God or that they do not need God to succeed or that every success that they have built was built purely by their own hands and without the blessing of the Lord. The wicked thus are weak and can be easily blown away. They will not stand judgment and will perish. The wicked will thus be punished for their sins and feel the whole of God’s wrath.

- Isaiah 26:12–18, it is wise to trust the Lord above all others (including ourselves), because the world that we live in is ESTABLISHED by God. The only reason we have any kind of peace and joy in this world today is because of God’s protection. Any other ruler, they come and go. They make mistakes. They become proud and arrogant as they gain more power, more wealth, more success. And so, they perish, and they die. Worse, they break promises when their lives/status are on the line.

God has the ultimate power, and no living thing can contest against it. But, God has no reason to be proud, because He is the maker of us all. He can eradicate us as easy as us snapping our fingers. However, He is loving, and His love is eternal. Trusting the Lord above all others is the only logical choice, really.

- Isaiah 26:19–21, This passage speaks of the hope that the wicked will be punished and the righteous will be saved. Those who died in Christ will also rise and witness the glory of God.

- Job 19:25–27

The great promise of God is that God lives and in the end will stand above all. Despite death of the flesh, we will see God with our own eyes.

- John 5:24–29

The great promise of God is that those who hear God’s Word and choose to follow God will not be condemned. These people will be saved and be granted eternal life. Those who hear God’s voice will rise, even those who have physically died in Christ. A time is coming in which all followers of Christ will rise and be granted eternal life.

- John 11:25–26

The great promise of God is that those who believe in Jesus will be granted eternal life. Those who believe in Jesus will never die.

- John 17:3

The great promise of God is that those who believe in God will be granted eternal life.

As important as the above message is, I’m always queasy when I hear people saying we should all be Christians because we get eternal life, as if believing in Christ is a form of insurance or something.

To me, choosing to follow Christ ought not to be an act of such cowardice thinking! We ought to choose to follow Christ, because we want to fight Satan. We need to realize that at the end of times, we will all be fighting a God vs. Satan war. It’s not about the want/greed to live forever or the fear of death. It’s about choosing which side we want to fight for. So what are we going to fight for? Eternal life with God or eternal death with Satan?

Isaiah 27

Revelation 12:3; 20:2–3, 10

- At the end of times, God will punish with His sword, slaying Satan.

Isaiah 5:1–6 and 27:2–6

- Israel will ultimately become a fruitful vineyard. It used to be fruitless and a worthless wilderness, because the people chose to betray God and needed to be humbled. However, God continuously watches over it, constantly watering it and guarding it. He will weed out the wicked, but at the end of the day, He is always waiting for His people to make peace with Him.

- As a people without understanding, God will show no compassion and no favor. God will strike them down.

I think “without understanding” means those who CHOOSE not to hear the Word of God. Matthew 11:15, Mark 4:9, Revelation 3:22, these scriptures all speak of “He who has ears, let him hear.” This is an extremely powerful message (One that gives me goosebumps!). It means, if we are stubborn and choose to close off our hearts and our ears to Christ, then we will never “hear” His Word, i.e., we will never be able to understand God’s message. That is, the choice of hearing God is in our own hands. If we want to hear, then we will hear.

- The purpose behind God’s judgment is to be rid of the people who have chosen to stand against Him.

- Exodus 19:10–13

The trumpets are used to let people know when they may go up to the mountain (because when God is still up that mountain, the people cannot go up because they will die).

- Leviticus 25:8–10

The trumpets are used to notify the Year of Jubilee.

- Matthew 24:30–31

The trumpets are used by Jesus to call for His angels.

- 1 Corinthians 15:52

The trumpets are used to signal the quick change from limited mortality to immortality. Those who died in Christ will be raised. Those who are alive and live in Christ will go immediately from a mortal state to an eternal state.

- 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Similar to the previous passage, the trumpets are used to signal the second coming of Jesus, and upon the sound of this trumpet, the dead will rise and the living will ascend to Heaven with Christ.

- As Christians, the trumpet sounds mentioned in 1 Corinthians and 1 Thessalonians are exciting times to come. The moment we hear it, we will be transformed instantaneously to Heaven and into immortal beings. This is an event known as the Rapture. We will be “caught away” by Christ to avoid God’s “cleansing” of the Earth of Satan and his followers, which is defined as the time of the Tribulation. And again, those with ears, let them hear… it suggests only Christian will be able to hear the sound of these trumpets, and thus, only Christians will be able to be protected from God’s wrath during this period of time.

Isaiah 24

Isaiah 24:1–6

- The Lord will be completely destroyed the earth (laid to waste, dried up, withered, languished, consumed by curse) and scatter all people all over the earth. Many of these people will be burned up, leaving very few behind.

- The people who have defiled the earth, those who have disobeyed the laws of the Lord and broken the everlasting covenant established with the Lord.

- This certain because it is said, “The Lord has spoken this Word.”

- The earth would be consumed by the curse because the people have sinned; sinned in the sense that they have turned away from God, their Father who has given them everything.

Isaiah 24:7–13

- The condition of the people that remain will be extreme sadness (no more wine, no joyful music, no singing), as it has been said, “All joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth.”

- There will be a people who will be spared the desolation in the last days. As it has been said, “… very few are left,” or “… as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.”

Isaiah 24:14–16

- The people mentioned are those who have been saved from God’s destruction of the earth. They are God’s people, who joyfully express the glory of the Lord’s majesty.

- These people praise God like how children who are loved by their parents would praise their parents. I am very lucky to have a set of very loving parents who have given me everything I could ever dream of and more. They aren’t just there to give me shelter and food, but they encouraged me when I fail, and they help me stand up after I have fallen. And they are always there to help me dress my wound, to make sure I get well and that I learn my mistakes. Hence, it is very easy for me to understand why “they” would praise God. Because as God’s people, we are all His children. He is our Father, who provides us with not only food and shelter but also everlasting love and support. He teaches us the Way and disciplines us like any good Father would. But always, always, always, at the end of the day, all He wants us to do is come Home to Him safely.

See also Isaiah 2:1–5 and 11:1–11

- These verses describe peace amongst the people and all those who are able to live in joy and harmony under the glory of God.

Isaiah 24:16–23; Revelation 20:1–15

- Those who sin and turn away from God will be met with “terror and pit and snare.” These people will be punished by the Lord and will be “herded together… shut up in prison and be punished for many days.”

- It has been said, “… the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below,” showing God is the Ruler of them all. God is the ultimate authority.

Isaiah 24:21–22; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:7–9; 20:1–3

- The powers in the heavens above are not those of “flesh and blood” but those of “this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). That is, these are the powers of Satan (the dragon, the ancient serpent, the devil) and his league of angles who side with Satan to betray God (Revelation 12:7-9; 20:1-3). God will banish Satan and his betraying angels down to earth, causing them to lose their place in Heaven. God will then bound Satan (and those angels) for a thousand years, locked up in the Abyss to prevent him from preying on the nations during this period of time.

Isaiah 24:22; Revelation 20:1–15

- The “many days” (Isaiah 24:22) refer to the “thousand years” (Revelation 20:1). The immediate punishment is the banishment of Satan and his followers to the Abyss for a thousand years (Revelation 20:3). After that, Satan will be “thrown into the lake of burning sulfer” and be “tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). Each person will be “judged according to what he had done” (Revelation 20:13), and those whose names are not in the Book of Life will also be thrown in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

See also Revelation 20:4–10

- The Lord reigns in Heaven, and his power extends to the earth.

- Read Revelation 20:4-6 for a vivid example of how God defeats death, as quoted here: 

“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Christians never fear death, because what is death when we have God on our side? Physical Death is merely the end of the use of our bodies as the vessels of our souls. We were born once of flesh and blood, but our bodies are mere vessels to help us get through this phase of time. Flesh and blood deteriorates over time, and so, the organs within our bodies will wear out with use. Our bodies will die.

But when we CHOOSE to live as Christians, we are born a second time (i.e., the phrase “born again”), and our souls live FOREVER.

We must thus REFUSE and NEVER RECEIVE the mark of the beast. (This occurs during Tribulation. Let us hope we aren’t here for that. We should all be Raptured away by Jesus and reside in great joy and peace in Heaven and not have to face this.) If we were to ever side with Satan or the beast, we will die an eternal death, the death of our SOUL. And it is this Spiritual Death that we all should fear, because it is the eternal torment that lasts “day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10). Some people view it as punishment. I view it as a matter of the consequence of a person's freedom of choice. Whether we end up in Heaven or Hell, we have all been given the free will to choose. Those who choose to turn away from God choose Hell (because Hell = a place without God) and, in turn, to side with Satan. And the lake of burning sulfer and fire is where Satan will go, and that is where his followers will go as well.

Isaiah 15-23

Isaiah 15–16

- Moab was too proud and was thus doomed to be destroyed, and Isaiah was crying out in pain because of this.

- Moab will be destroyed because of their pride.

- I think one of the major barriers that prevents a person from receiving God’s help is pride. This is really hard to overcome because that person will never think he/she needs anyone’s help. This person would never think he/she makes any mistakes and believe he/she can succeed without anyone’s support. And when things don’t work, this person will never think he/she need to reflect because he/she may be the root of the problem. Instead, this person will lay blame on others.

If you know pride is your own barrier, then that is a step-up already. Knowing, in this case, truly wins half the battle. Because by admitting that pride is getting in your way, you are now open to taking suggestions and taking the steps needed to move away from that. The scariest thing is actually to not be aware that pride is your own barrier. At times like this, friends and family are critical.

How do you help a blind see? I think this is the toughest quest of all. But I believe we all must try. For me, it’s all about patience and understanding. A person who has been blinded by pride will never be able to see no matter how hard he/she tries. Friends and family should step in to help because they known this person best. From my personal experience, all we can do is to communicate endlessly. It is not an easy feat, and it will not be accomplished in one sitting. It may take months. It may take years. But we cannot give up. This is also why fellowship is so important. We can rely on each other to point out our blind spots, so that we may move forward to amend them.

Isaiah 17–18

17:1–3

Both Israel and Damascus will fall as the result of their alliance.

17:4–6

The glory of Jacob—the glory of Israel—will fade, yet some will remain.

17:7–11

Israel had forgotten God as its savior, choosing instead to seek other gods. On the day of its fall however, Israel will then remember its Maker, turning its eyes back to the Holy One of Israel.

17:12–14

The people and the nations that rage and roar against God’s people will flee away when God rebukes them. God will drive them out.

18:1–6

God has often remained in the backdrop, just observing. However, when the time is ripe, He will give a warning (such as sounds of a trumpet). And then, He will cut off all those who are not His people and leave these people to their demise.

18:7

“At that time,” and this is my guess, means the period encompassing the Tribulation.

- God was symbolized as Savior, Rock, and Fortress. Compared to man-made idols, such as Asherah poles and incense altars, God is a solid support. Placing trust in man-made idols is pointless because such idols have no power in making anything happen. It’s man-made! But God, He is the Creator of all. He exists before and after us. He exceeds our abilities, and where we fail, He will not. And so, by placing our trust in Him, we will be safe. And this is why He is our Savior, Rock, and Fortress.

Isaiah 19–20

- The idols of the Egyptians trembled before God. And this will cause the Egyptians to finally realize who the true God is.

19:2–15

- Egyptians, because they chose to place their trust in their man-made idols, will be led to fight against one and another. Nothing will grow, rivers will dry up, and life will be desperate.

- I think it is dangerous to think how God may be using natural conditions to reveal Himself to us today, because the truth is, we just don’t know. Many people like to say that Katrina or 911, or other natural catastrophes happened because God wanted to punish us for our wrongdoings, but we have no proof of this! I thus disagree very much with the notion to even hypothesize how God may be revealing Himself to us through natural conditions.

However, we should still bear in mind what has been taught to us in the Bible. The Bible teaches us that we may not know the specific day and time of Jesus’ second coming. But there are tell-tale signs of His coming. Events that need to occur to set His coming in place. And if we look at the times that we are in and compare to the trends of what has been happening (the formation of the EU, the beginning of the Fall of the US, massive spread of Christianity across the globe, etc.), we should all realize that we are close to the end of times.

This is a tough but very important topic and should really be discussed with fellowship and in further detail.

- “In that day,” Egyptians will show fear for God and come under His kindom.

- The stripping of Isaiah symbolizes shame. It is a warning to Cush and Egypt that if these two nations were to remain prideful, they, too, will be stripped of their powers and be completely exposed of their sin and be put to shame.

Isaiah 21–23

21:1–10

God’s judgment for Babylon: Babylon will fall.

21:11–12

God’s judgment for Edom: Edom will be no more.

21:13–17

God’s judgment for Arabia: Arabia will run from battle (but will not succeed).

23:1–18

God’s judgment for Tyre: Tyre, once the center of commerce, will be destroyed by many nations. It will be no more and have no chance to be rebuilt.  (See also Ezekiel 26:1-28:19)

Excerpt taken from

http://seminary.lds.org/manuals/old-testament-seminary-student-study-guide/ot-ssg-7-isa-15.asp:

Isaiah 23 contains a prophecy about Tyre, a city of Phoenicia, is the last of the chapters prophesying the overthrow of nations surrounding Israel and Judah. Tyre was a city focused on the buying and selling of the treasures of the world. The things of the world were always more important to the inhabitants of Tyre than anything else, including God. Isaiah referred to Tyre as a harlot. This is because, in a sense, the people sold themselves and their sacred relationship with God for money—much in the same way a harlot sells her sacred virtue for money.

- Isaiah prophesies that Jerusalem will fall because its people are proud. The people thought they could solve problems on their own and did not realize the blessing given to them by their Maker, the Lord (Isaiah 22:11). Instead of repenting and be humbled, the people of Jerusalem celebrated the downfall of the nations around it (Isaiah 22:12-14). Isaiah thus used the story of Shebna as a warning to Jerusalem: That if they continue to be prideful, they will be brought down like how Shebna was brought down. However, the sin of Jerusalem will not be atoned for until its dying days (Isaiah 22:14). It will thus be atoned by Jesus Christ. And once Jerusalem returns to God’s side, it will then once again arise.