ISRAEL’S HALLMARK BLESSINGS AND CURSES
Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isa 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
There are a great number of blessings that Israel will enjoy once the kingdom of heaven is established on the earth. Dozens upon dozens could be listed from the things spoken about by Isaiah alone. When I used the expression “hallmark blessings,” (which of course is an expression I coined; it isn’t found in the Bible), I did so because of what being sick and having Satan’s devils in the land was designed to mean to Israel. Those two issues, more than any of the other consequences of Israel’s failure to comply with the Law contract, should have indicated to them how apostate the nation was in God’s eyes. The curse of physical infirmities was part of the very first course of punishment that the Law covenant called for, and it began following Joshua’s days and continued unabated right on through to when Christ came to them. The curse of Satan’s devils being allowed to infiltrate and inundate the land began when they became Satan’s “lawful captive” at the beginning of the fifth course of punishment spoken about in the Law. And it too increased, until at the time when Christ came the devils were literally every place throughout the land of Israel.
Isa 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Isa 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
Isa 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
Isa 49:25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Isa 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
By these two “hallmark curses” Israel was to know the depth of their apostasy and that they were in a predicament from which they could not deliver themselves. For this reason deliverance from these two issues is talked about the most when it comes to describing the blessings of the kingdom. Therefore, I called them the “hallmark blessings” of the kingdom. And I believe this is justified not only on the basis of what I just pointed out, but especially because the signs of the kingdom spoken about in the Gospels are most of the time summarized as being these two issues. In fact, in connection with describing them to the rebellious Pharisees the Lord said, “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” (Luke 11:20) There should have been “no doubt” regarding what these two signs meant, especially the casting out of devils.
Luk 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
Luk 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
Luk 11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Luk 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Luk 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
They were highly significant to Israel, in view of the history of God’s dealings with them. They possessed a hallmark feature about them. (Note: Another fascinating issue to consider regarding these two blessings is that they were the first two signs ever given to the nation Israel by God. When God sent Moses into Egypt to deliver them, He gave him some signs to perform, of which the first two correspond to the two “hallmark blessings” of the kingdom.) Both the issue of individual release from captivity and the issue of Israel’s national release from captivity will be blessings enjoyed once the kingdom is established. And this will be enjoyed along with all the rest of the hundreds of blessings promised Israel.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries