Consider how the course of human
events is known by God even before they occur... and consider
that God, who is in control of all things, has often foretold of
what is to come. Further consider how disconnected we often are
from the viewpoint of God when it comes to our daily lives.
And now consider these scriptures:
Amos 3:7
"Surely
the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan
to his servants the prophets."
Joel 2:28
&
Acts 2:7
"In
the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons
and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see
visions, your old men will dream dreams."
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 "Don't
stifle the Spirit. Don't despise prophecies, but test all
things. Hold on to what is good."
What does that have to do with
yesterday's public "rally" in Florida? Let me tell you (and you
will need your SPIRITUAL
eyes to see this)...
Yesterday, President Trump held a
"rally" in Melbourne Florida. Why? Because the completely
dishonest media is putting out so much false "news" that he felt
it necessary to speak directly to the American people.
Yet something
quite unique and deeply spiritual occurred.
This is "invisible" to the
non-spiritually minded. Take a moment, open your spiritual eyes,
and consider this...
At the Melbourne Florida
"rally", the First Lady of the United States
Melania Trump, before introducing her husband, President of
the United States Donald J. Trump, says "Let us pray". And
then she delivers a heartfelt reading of the Lord's
Prayer...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass
against us,
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and
ever.
Amen.
In my lifetime, such a thing
has NEVER occurred.
So
stunning was this, that I have been considering the
significance of it for the last 24 hours. It is one of many
things that have seemed curious to me now for many days.
After all, the total outrage
against Trump long ago surpassed the boundaries of sanity.
So the natural question to a logical person is "Why?".
Melania Opens Public Event with Lord's Prayer
Indulge
me further here...
Three days ago, I read
an article in the Wall Street Journal
("Echoes of King David in President
Donald") which I found to be rather stunning... and
it has been on my mind ever since.
In this article dated 16 February 2017, an
unexpected comparison of Donald Trump to Israel's ancient King
David was made. It was so curious to me that I have been
thinking about it for the last three days, stunned that such a
comparison had been published in a major news outlet.
Then today, an understanding began to congeal for
me. The catalyst for that was yesterday's public event in
Melbourne Florida and the recitation of the Lord's Prayer by
Melania Trump.
It was remarkable that the Lord's Prayer was the
opening of a public event held by the President of the United
States, since such a display of faith has
never occurred in my lifetime. Furthermore,
during his speech, the President commented on environmental
matters and where anyone else would have said "the earth", it
was notable that Donald Trump chose to say "God's earth".
It was so out of the
norm that I noticed it.
Regarding
"Prophecy", the following scriptures instruct us on how to
view a prophet.
First, Paul tells
us to desire the gift of prophecy in
1 Corinthians 14:1-5, and
in
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 "Don't
stifle the Spirit. Don't despise prophecies, but test all
things. Hold on to what is good."
Second, the rule
for accepting a prophet is found in
Deuteronomy 18:22, which
states:
"If
what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does
not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD
has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously,
so do not be alarmed."
Not long ago, I became aware of
a "prophet" who recently died. I saw something from this
"prophet" that stunned me.
First note that this "prophecy"
was given on 4 April 2007, long before even the election of
Barak Hussein Obama. In fact, this "prophecy" was given 9.5
years before the election of Donald Trump, long before Trump
ever seriously considered running for office.
Watch the video at right...
Take a moment and watch it
for it is the kind of thing that makes the hairs on the back
of my neck "stand up".
A Trump in
the White House to become a trumpet of God.
Is that not truly stunning?
And that was 9.5 years
before the election of Donald Trump.
But it does not end there.
No, there is more.
Look at the next "prophecy".
From 4 April 2007 -- A Prophecy?
This "prophecy" was given 3
years ago, and told of a major upset in the "upcoming
Presidential election".
This "prophecy" states that
there will be multiple calls for impeachment, but they will
not be successful (and since BEFORE
the inauguration of Trump, the Demoncraps have been calling
for impeachment, even introducing legislation this last week
to attempt such an act of Congress).
This "prophecy" states that
God has chosen "My David that I
have set aside for this nation" (remember from
above the
WSJ article from 16
February 2017 "Echoes of King David
in President Donald").
Watch this video at right...
and be sure to watch the WHOLE THING !!!
Take a moment and watch it
for it is the kind of thing that
AGAIN makes the hairs on the back of my neck
"stand up".
So what does all of this
mean?
For those with spiritual
eyes to see, I believe we are witnessing a movement of God
among us... and if we watch very closely, we will see
fulfillment of the prophesies in the Bible as well.
Another
Prophetic Word
Here is another prophetic word given in 2011 regarding the
election of Trump and the "cleaning out" of the news media (click
here).
Additionally, I have another prophetic word
regarding North Korea from 26 April 2017 wherein
an attack against "American allied forces" will
succeed as a piercing blow and will precipitate
a totally devastating response, extensively
destroying North Korea. There are three parts,
click here for part one.
EDIT TO INSERT THIS
TEXT BOX AS OF 12 May 2017 Notice that in
these "prophecies" there is a reference to a nation
"itching for a new kind of war" with the United States and
it would arise AFTER Obama left office, upon the next
President's assumption of the position. We have suddenly
seen a serious threat of North Korea threatening a nuclear
war and a burning down of Washington D.C.
Additionally, there is
reference in these "prophecies" of the "gatekeeper of New
York" at the time of 9/11/2001 and also of a new "Edward
Snowden" coming forth to expose more corruption along with
deeply embarrassing revelations for both Republicans and
more extensively for Democrats. I am unsure of the new leaker of significant information, but could it be that
Rudi Giuliani will be assigned a critical role in the US
Government, such as the new FBI director after the firing
of James Comey?
What to watch for?
From Kim Clement (IF
he is a prophet):
Increasing professions of
faith from Donald Trump
Reelection to a second term
as President
Massive economic restoration
in the United States
Significant debt reduction
(or completely paid off as was done only by one other
President in history: Andrew Jackson)
From Scripture:
Strike at the Aswan Dam for
Egypt's sin of being a weak reed of support for Israel --
Ezekiel 29:10
A strategic alliance of
Russia (Magog), Libya (Put), Iran (Persia), and
Sudan-Somalia (Cush) --
Ezekiel 38:5
Additional
Thoughts as of 21 February 2017 From Email Exchange with a
Pastor / Leader of a Recognized Church
Someone shared some thoughts with me which I found valuable,
and included a statement of the
"shock value" of the boldness of the "prophet" (though I am
sure the prophets throughout history were
considered shockingly bold since most ended up being
killed--Matthew 23:37--and often wrote outright shocking
things, such as Ezekiel in
http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/23-20.htm which causes me
to flinch in disgust, yet it is the confirmed Word of the
Lord).
I believe there is a
difference between a "trumpet in the White House" vs. that
person being the chosen instrument to bring about a revival. I
don't think the former is the same as the latter, though with
a bully pulpit that size, expressions of faith certainly
invigorate the evangelical Christian, and MAY bring a revival
netting non-believers and disillusioned believers.
As for Trump's faith, I leave
that to God to judge, but what I can SEE with my own eyes is
that he has, upon assumption of power, brought a refocus on
the Christian faith and a public recognition of the threat of
Islam. For example:
Obama publicly stated
that we are no longer a Christian nation, yet Trump has
reversed that publicly.
Obama instigated the
Egyptian UN resolution against Israel (thus forever ensuring
Egypt as a "weak reed of support" after its peace treaty of
the late 1970sEzekiel
29:10) and then refused to veto the sanction.
Obama has assisted a
"migration" (better recognized as an
Trojan-horse-styled invasion) of Islam into America (which
is far more fully implemented throughout Europe already).
Public statements of
faith from Trump:
Melania's recitation
of the Lord's Prayer (which has drawn total outrage, and
days of media attention!!!) at the Saturday event (never
before in our lifetime has this occurred).
Intentionally
referring to the earth as "God's earth" in his public
remarks.
I fully accept the canonized
Prophets since the decision to incorporate their prophesies
was subject to EXTENSIVE analysis and consensus for the first
1,000 years of the church and formalized in Catholic
conferences and further accepted by nearly all Protestant
divisions arising within the world-wide church. In fact, the
canonized Prophets, having been "bound on earth" by consensus
of deliberate men, has further been "bound in heaven" by God
Himself (Matthew 18:18).
Now, as regards a
modern-day "prophet", I am unsure about Kim Clement, yet I am
intrigued. I would never "put my faith" in a modern-day
"prophet". I am keenly aware of the scriptures about prophecy
(First, Paul tells us to desire the gift of prophecy in 1
Corinthians 14:1-5. Second, the rule for accepting a prophet
is found in Deuteronomy 18:22, which states: "If what a
prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place
or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That
prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.")
Of course, the various facets
of modern-day Christendom have various views of Holy Spirit
gifting. Some believe the Holy Spirit is a retired author.
Some believe the Holy Spirit only "urges" us. Some believe the
giftings of 1 Corinthians 14 are only sporadically found among
us. Still others believe the full gifting is still fully
active among us. I don't get into discussions about the
extensiveness of the Spirit's gifts in our time period since
so many people are of so wide an array of opinion and
immediately pass judgment on anyone not agreeing with them (2
Timothy 2:23-26), but I do recognize something as curious, and
that is why I included the question "Is it prophetic?" in my
title for this page.
I do also know for a fact
that scripture tells us these two things:
Amos 3:7 "Surely the
Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to
his servants the prophets."
Joel 2:28 & Acts 2:7
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on
all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your
young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."
So, similar to Mary the
mother of Jesus (Luke 2:19), I ponder these things in my heart
and similar to those considered wise and successful in
understanding (Proverbs 11:14), I solicit the opinions of
other thoughtful people.
I agree completely that God
uses both the faithful and the pagan to achieve His plans.
And I also recognize
something else about God and His plans: there are THREE
facets.
The church (i.e. the
spiritual body of Christ) composed first of Jews and
then also of Gentiles who have been grafted into spiritual
Israel such that all of "Israel" will be saved.
The physical nation of
Israel about which so many canonized Prophets wrote regarding
the future (including the re-establishment in 1948 as
prophesied in Ezekiel 28:25 and Ezekiel 34:13 and numerous
other scriptures including Jesus' own words in Luke 21:24
which was fulfilled in 1967).
The use of "the nations"
of the earth to accomplish His purposes, including the
Prophets' words of yet-to-have-occurred events, such as:
Strike at the Aswan Dam
for Egypt's sin of being a weak reed of support for Israel
-- Ezekiel 29:10 (Note, Aswan was specifically mentioned in
prophecy 3,000 years before the dam was built)
Asteroid hitting an
ocean -- Revelation 8:8
A strategic alliance of
Russia (Magog), Libya (Put), Iran (Persia), and
Sudan-Somalia (Cush) -- Ezekiel 38:5
On this last matter, there is
no prophecy that I have seen of the other descendents of
Japheth coming to the aid of Israel, thus I am NOT SURE AT ALL
that America will remain in support of Israel in the timing of
such fulfillment of OT Prophecy. In fact, the great deceiver
that is the "anti-Christ" of the "last days" will deceive the
ENTIRE WORLD, even the church if such a thing were possible,
so the reality is that in the "last days" events prophesied,
Israel as a physical nation may stand completely alone, which
would certainly demonstrate the power of Yahweh in wiping out
the enemies of Israel prior to the return of Jesus Christ.
But that does not preclude
the application of prophesy in the days of a nation and its
leader. In fact, Jonah was quite unhappy that God wanted the
people of Ninevah to change their ways (though they were
without divine revelation, not having "scripture", i.e. Torah)
and thus sent a "prophet" (Jonah) to them, and it had the
effect of repentance, and God's relent of His intention to
punish them.
Also, I recognize that
blessing followed leaders who honored God by the reading of
the Word of the Lord (such as Deut 31:11, Nehemiah 8:1, and 2
Kings 23, just to cite a few places of scripture). One such
example is Joseph at the end of Genesis wherein the Pharoah of
that day honored the God of Joseph.
Let me ask you this: What do you think you would have felt
or believed if you had been in Pharoah's court when a
prisoner was brought to interpret the dream of the sheaves
and the emaciated cattle? And would you have believed him
and approved of his elevation to the 2nd highest position in
the land? (Matthew 23:30) BTW, Do you know that the
canal/reservoir of water built by Joseph still exists today
and is still named after him 3,600 years later (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahr_Yussef)?
While I am unsure about the
"prophecy" of Kim Clement, what I see is something worth
noting:
9.5 years before election,
the "word" was that God would put a "trump into the White
House to become a trumpet of the Lord", and the PERSON
(Donald Trump) at that time had no public designs whatsoever
to run for President.
3 years before today, "they
will cry 'impeach, impeach'".
the other statements about
"going in whispering My name" and so many other words that
are very much aligned to what we have seen these last 3
months.
and the parts yet
"unfulfilled" such as the 8 year presidency, the
unsuccessful efforts to remove Trump from office, the
rattling of the enemies of Israel, the elimination of the
debt of the USA, the massive buildup of wealth in the USA,
etc. etc. etc.
Suffice it to say that my
present analysis is this:
We have the canon
established with great deliberation by men and thus "bound
in Heaven" by God (Matthew 18:18),
The instruction of Paul
that anyone preaching another gospel is cursed (Galatians
1:8),
The instruction of Paul to
desire spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of prophecy (1
Corinthians 14:5),
And the test of the
"prophet" (Deuteronomy 18:22).
If all aspects of the
"prophecy" of Kim Clement occurs, then his "thus saith the
Lord" is confirmed according to Deuteronomy 18:22. It seems to
me that it is worth "keeping an eye on it"... not for my faith
in God nor for my salvation, rather for my witness of God
moving among us in these early moments of the coming "last
days".
One More
Series of
Thoughts as of 21 February 2017
I understand the
hesitancy to "align with" certain things, in fact, I share
it. Caution is warranted and prudent.
I do think that the
"spiritual nation" aspect of God's interest does not
preclude His simultaneous interest in the nations of the
earth as you noted that He may have purpose for sovereign
nations. Further, I agree that America is not of equal
standing to Israel, neither spiritually nor as a nation
upon the earth.
Yes, the American nation was founded on Christian
principles, yet not all were Christians nor
"evangelical" Christians. The "endowed by their Creator"
phrase acknowledged a universal principle, yet God
equally has no problem with slavery though it was
considered distasteful to even the
Apostles (yet Paul still returned the slave Onesimus to
his master Philemon). I don't think God sees America as
a physical representation of His people. That is
reserved for Israel alone, as regards the physical, for
His promise to Abraham and the lineage of Israel is a
forever promise, thus the remaining unfulfilled
prophecies regarding the physical nation of Israel
(which began earnest fulfillment in 1948 and 1967).
Those unfulfilled prophecies are imminent, in my
estimation. (KEY: Ezekiel 29:10 which will soon occur,
irradiating the entire Nile such that it is
uninhabitable, and that is why Egypt is not among the
nations arrayed against in Ezekiel 38-39.)
Regarding walls, I view
it this way: Nehemiah built walls to protect his people,
doing so with a public reading of the Word of the Lord and
also arming his workers to carry a weapon in one hand
while working with the other hand (Nehemiah 4:16-23) and
this physical wall was to protect the people under his
charge. The pastor from Texas used that with Trump to
indicate that protecting a nation while seeking Divine
guidance and blessing has precedence, and success. The
comingling of a biblical history with a present-day issue
seems appropriate to me, for we do that every Sunday in
assembly: apply a Divine principle or biblically
historical event to the present circumstances of our
lives.
Regarding prophesying, we
again share a very similar view, it seems. Prophesying is
simply speaking the Word of the Lord by the Spirit of the
Lord. Sometimes that is a "foretelling" and other times it
is a "discernment" (such as with Ananias, Acts 5:1-11). I
also agree that the gifting of the Spirit, including the
prophetic foretelling, is rarely seen, and I think I know
why. Because we don't believe. We don't believe the
mountain will get up and throw itself into the sea. We
don't believe the storm will obey the command to "be
still". We don't believe the "little girl, ARISE" will
bring her back to life. We don't believe....... plain and
simple.
Let me give you a
single example (from numerous ones) in my own life when I
KNOW FOR SURE it was God speaking or acting through me (a
prophetic utterance in this case):
In the 1990s,
a dear friend's mother was dying a slow, painful death
of an extremely rare type of cancer which would take up
to 9 months of excruciating pain before she would
finally succumb. I offered to pray with my friend (not
in the presence of the mother), yet first, in my heart
(Genesis 24:45) I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the
right words. Then I opened my mouth, and to my own
surprise, as well as that of my dear friend, I prayed
for the mother to die and spare the family the long,
excruciating death for which there was no human
medical relief. I was surprised that I pray that prayer.
I honestly thought I would be praying for healing. I was
actually shocked at my prayer and even my dear friend
was not expecting such a prayer, yet did say "Amen" at
the end. Three days later I saw my friend again and
learned that the very night I had prayed for the mother
to die, the mother did in fact die, and even the doctors
were at a loss to explain the suddenness of her death.
That was prophecy, an utterance aligned with God's
purpose, thus acted upon by the Lord. (There are many
instances in my life where I "heard" the Spirit, then
saw the stunning results.)
You see, we speak it into
existence, and if we are being "inspired by the Holy
Spirit", then what we say aligns with God's intent, and it
will in fact be accomplished. If one just walks up to a
mountain and tells it to be thrown into the sea, the
mountain itself will laugh (in total silence) at the
foolishness, and will not be moved. But in the REAL
moment, when God is there, and the power of the Holy
Spirit falls upon someone, then the command will in fact
be obeyed. I don't know for sure if the "prophetic"
utterances of Kim Clement are "inspired by the Holy
Spirit", but just as I am cautious, I also do not just
dismiss it, rather I follow Paul's instruction "Do not
quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt
but test them all; hold on to what is good." (1 Thess
5:19-21). So I test it, according to THE test --
Deuteronomy 18:22. And I share it with others of strong
faith, for IF (big IF) God is moving among us in plain
sight (for those with eyes to see), then I certainly don't
want to miss it !!!
JOSEPH: Let me explain
about my comment regarding Joseph. Jesus said, "And you
say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we
would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood
of the prophets.’" (Matthew 23:30). Pharoah had a dream
that was so strange. He couldn't shake it off, so he asked
his "wise men" but no one understood it. Then a prisoner,
tattered and filthy, is brought to him to interpret it. He
did so, and Pharoah recognized the prophecy in the
interpretation, immediately elevating Joseph to the second
highest position in the land. The result includes a canal
and lake that remain even today, still named after him.
What if we had been there and seen the moment Joseph
"interprets" the dream? Would we have dismissed him as a
ragged criminal who should shut up and go back to his
prison cell? Would we think Pharoah crazy? After all, his
prophecy was set for 7 years into the future (actually 14
for the entire fulfillment). Jesus, in talking to the
Pharisees, said (paraphrased) "Oh yeah, you SAY you would
not have murdered the prophets, but yet they were murdered
by your predecessors who were just like you!"
I guess what I am saying
is this: Would we have recognized a prophet appearing had
we lived in the ancient past? Would we recognize a prophet
appearing in our present? The people of his day thought
Noah a lunatic for he spent decades building a crazy box
in the middle of nowhere... yet the rain came. I believe
this is WHY the Apostle Paul says "Do not quench the
Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test
them all; hold on to what is good." (1 Thess 5:19-21). I
think WE (the world-wide "body of Christ" at this time in
history) frequently "quench the Spirit" and that is why we
rarely ever see a demonstration of the Power of God in our
daily lives. It is Satan's success for he certainly does
not want a people on this earth walking in the full power
and inspiration of the Spirit of God. Thus we infrequently
see, as you wrote: "I long to see more of that here!"
ISLAM: Of course, you
know about the curriculum I have prepared for you
regarding Islam (http://www.davidburney.com/Personal/Faith/Islam/CurriculumIslam.htm).
Islam also has "prophecies" and the followers of Islam are
presently anticipating the arrival of the 12th Imam. It is
interesting that such advent parallels Judeo-Christian
prophecy of the "end times". The Islamic "messiah" is
juxtaposed to the Judeo-Christian "messiah". And we
presently face an invasion that may well bring about the
same response as it did long ago in Europe (Crusades). But
this time, the infiltration and deception is extensive.
Why? Because "... woe to the earth and the sea, because
the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short." (Revelation
12:12). Yes, in our lifetime now we must stand against
Islam, given by angels (remember what Paul said in
http://biblehub.com/galatians/1-8.htm). Standing
against it spiritually (being fully versed in the Word and
clothed with the full armor of God)... yet very likely in
our lifetime we as Christians will have to take a physical
stand against it in the flesh as well. I have written
something about "When God Fights For You" here on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/james-david-burney/when-god-fights-for-you/1129955637017036
Isaiah 45 and the
45th President
Here is a statement
by Isaiah where God calls a "non-believing" world
leader (Cyrus) and installs him as a global power to
achieve enumerated purposes, actually stating "I
summon you by name" even "though
you do not acknowledge me" to defend
God's people Israel -- What if a modern-day prophet
has in fact given the Word of the Lord for today's
sovereign nations and His purposes in our lives,
placing "a trump in the White House to become a
trumpet of the Lord" going in "whispering my name" but
becoming a "trumpet of God"? The parallels to our
recent conversations is uncanny!
And, curiously, Trump
is the 45th President (rather curious that this is the
45th chapter of Isaiah).
Isaiah 45
This is what the Lord
says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you
and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places, so that you may know
that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
For the sake of Jacob my
servant,
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.
“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.
“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
those who are nothing but potsherds
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?
Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
“This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?
It is I who made the earth
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts.
I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,
says the Lord Almighty.”
This is what the Lord says:
“The products of
Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,
and those tall Sabeans—
they will come over to you
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,
coming over to you in chains.
They will bow down before you
and plead with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other;
there is no other god.’”
Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself,
the God and Savior of Israel.
All the makers of idols will be put to shame and
disgraced;
they will go off into disgrace together.
But Israel will be saved by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,
to ages everlasting.
For this is what the Lord says—
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,
but formed it to be inhabited—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.
I have not spoken in secret,
from somewhere in a land of darkness;
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.
“Gather together and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.
Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none but me.
“Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance and strength.’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.
But all the descendants of Israel
will find deliverance in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.
