"IT SHALL NOT STAND, NEITHER SHALL IT COME TO PASS"
“And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field; And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.” —Isaiah 7:1-7
Too often we make the mistake of reading the stories regarding the kings of Israel and Judah (I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles) without gleaning the great spiritual truths to be found in them. The time of my text, Isaiah 7:1-7, concerns a great example of spiritual truth that is often overlooked. I pray that this article will bring out this great truth and will be a blessing to you, the reader.
Ahaz
The story of Ahaz, king of Judah, is a story of great sin and sorrow, and yet, at the same time, it is a story of God’s faithfulness.
Ahaz was one of the most wicked kings to ever rule Judah. His evil acts were equal to the two most evil kings of Israel—Ahab and Ahaziah.
II Chronicles 28:1-4 says of Ahaz: “Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.”
In these four verses, we read of the horrible sin of Ahaz. He cast aside the true altar, the brazen altar (a type of the Cross), and, instead, erected altars dedicated to the pagan god Moloch, the god of fire. The mode of worship was rooted in human sacrifice. In fact, as stated in Scripture, Ahaz offered up his own children, as well as countless other children, to this demonic entity.
One must never forget that when a person or a nation rejects the truth, which is Jesus Christ, then there is nothing left to worship but demon spirits. Let’s for a moment jump ahead to the present time. America has rejected the true altar; Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and, instead, has erected false altars and are worshipping false gods.
One may say, “Yes, that’s true, but at least we have not sunk as low as worshipping Moloch.” My answer to that is that Moloch’s altar is in our midst, and it’s called abortion. Every single year in the U.S. alone, there are nearly 1 million abortions. In reality, the evil of our time is greater than in the days of Ahaz because the reality of the Cross was then in type and shadow, but now, we have the reality of Calvary. Therefore, the light is greater today, which makes our sin even greater.
Israel and Syria
The Scripture tells us that the kings of Israel and Syria joined for the purpose of removing Ahaz as king and placing another on the throne. Verse 6 of Isaiah, Chapter 7, says: “Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal.”
While we don’t know who the son of Tabeal was, no doubt, he was a prince who was chosen by the kings of Syria and Ephraim (Israel) to be king of Jerusalem and to be their servant.
Verse 2 tells us that fear gripped Ahaz when told of the alliance of Syria and Israel against him.
A Remnant Shall Return
In spite of Ahaz’s sin and rebellion, we now see the grace of God extended to a king and a people who had forsaken the God of David. Ahaz was in the Davidic lineage.
Verse 3 states: “Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field.”
The Lord instructed Isaiah to take his son with him as a symbol in order that his name might carry a specific message to Ahaz. That message was one of judgment and grace.
The child’s name was Shear-jashub, which means, “A remnant shall return.” The name referred to those taken into captivity by the Babylonians and the few (the remnant) who would be allowed to return to a burned-over and destroyed Jerusalem.
Fear Not
The word of the Lord through the prophet to Ahaz was, “Fear not.” This was a promise from the Lord to Ahaz that even though Judah would suffer great loss of life in their battle against Syria and Israel, they would not be able to remove Ahaz from the throne.
The Promise of God
This whole scenario seems strange to the casual reader. Why would God allow a sinful, wicked man like Ahaz to remain on the throne? Why would the Lord declare this in verse 7: “Thus says the Lord GOD, It shall not stand (the actual wording is ‘the Lord Jehovah declares it shall not stand’), neither shall it come to pass.”
As stated, this whole event was Satan’s effort to remove Ahaz as king and place someone else on the throne. Satan’s plan was to foil the prophecy given to David concerning the Messiah coming through David’s family, which Ahaz was in the lineage.
This promise is found in II Samuel 7:12, 16: “And when your days be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, which shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish His kingdom … And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you: your throne shall be established forever.”
Conditional and Unconditional Promises
Now we get to the heart of what I want to convey to you, which is a word of encouragement as it regards the future.
The Bible is full of God’s promises. Most of these promises are conditional, meaning that one has to meet the conditions as set forth by God. Deuteronomy, Chapter 28, is a perfect example of this. However, there are some unconditional promises in the Word of God also.
The Lord’s promise to David concerning the everlasting throne was an unconditional promise, meaning that it is not conditional on what people do or do not do. Nothing can stop it from coming to pass; consequently, the throne of David will once again grace Jerusalem upon the second coming of Christ, and it will abide forever. Nothing or no one can stop the unconditional promises of God. There are certain things that He has said He will do, and nothing can stop them.
Today, we are living in a time of great turmoil and uncertainty. America is a divided nation. It is just as divided now as it was during the Civil War. Though it’s not a division bringing actual war, we are in a war of ideas and direction for the country. It’s a war between liberals and conservatives, a war of morality and immorality, etc.
As we look at these conditions in our country and the world, some believers may despair and wonder what the future holds, but I have good news for you, and that good news is God’s unconditional promises, which are:
• The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:17 promises us that “it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.” This unconditional promise began on the day of Pentecost. It has continued to this hour and will continue despite all that Satan can do to hinder.
• The Rapture of the Church
Despite what some in the church may think today, the catching away of the church is an unconditional promise that cannot be hindered or halted. The rapture is not dependent on the condition of the church; the church in no way decides the time of this great event. The timing is decided solely by Christ (I Thess. 4:13-17).
• The Great Tribulation
Chapters 6 through 19 of the book of Revelation carry the account of this time of sorrow and woes for those who are left behind after the rapture.
• The Battle of Armageddon
This great battle will be the climax of the seven years of great tribulation. It will mark the defeat and destruction of the Antichrist (Rev. 16:16; Isa. 63:1-6; Joel 3:12-16; Ezek. 38:21-23).
• The Second Coming of the Lord
The second coming of Christ is going to be the most magnificent and awesome event the world has ever known. When the rapture occurs, we, the body of Christ, will leave this earth, and at the second coming, we will return with the Lord as a part of the army of God (Rev., Chpt. 19).
• The Millennial Reign
The millennial reign is the thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will come to this earth and will reign supreme from Jerusalem, guaranteeing safety, prosperity, and peace throughout the world (Rev. 20:4; Isa. 2:4).
• Satan Will be Cast Into The Lake of Fire Forever
At this time, Satan and all demon spirits and fallen angels will forever be locked away (Rev. 20:10).
• A New Heaven and a New Earth
At this time, the earth will be cleansed by fire and restored as God intended (II Pet. 3:7-13; Rev. 21:1).
• The New Jerusalem
At this time, God will bring the New Jerusalem down from heaven to earth so that He may dwell on the earth forever. The New Jerusalem will be 1,500 miles high and 1,500 miles square.
In closing, there is no reason to despair or be afraid of what the future holds, for it has already been declared: “Thus says the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.” The future is already destined by God, so dear saint, rejoice in the Lord.
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