TURN THE BATTLE AT THE GATE
(Isaiah 28: 5-6)
September 20, 2008
Carolyn Sissom
On August 13, 2000, the Lord gave me a Prophetic Word under the title, “Turn the Battle At the Gate”. Due to the spiritual battle fought at our gate last week during Hurricane Ike, I pulled it out of my archives. I was amazed. It was a message for that hour, but is prophetic of this day we are now in. Our nation is in the midst of many storms and battles. May we be encouraged at the promise of the Victory attained for us by the Lord as we stand in the Day of Battle?
The message in the year 2000 was a call to repentance to “Turn the Battle at the Gate.” I prophesied in the message that unless we resisted the Political spirit, religion, Philistines, alliances with those who worship foreign gods, bigotry, abuse, traditions of men, jealousy competition, ambition, greed, control, pride, sectarianism, pragmatism, false hope, false covenants, false prophets, prestige, treachery and betrayal, i.e. all the sins of the world, we would not have the strength to “Turn the Battle at the Gate.”
Quote from prophecy: “One of the battles before us as the greater Glory of the Lord is released will be a confrontation with the “Political spirit”. Do not think that satan is just going to lie down and let it happen: this spirit is exemplified in scripture by Dairus, Absalom, Pilate, Herodias, the mother of Zebedee’s children, and many others. An ‘apostolic movement of grace’ will expose and lay an axe at the historical root of the political spirit in the church and nations of the earth who are hostile to God’s people.”
Isaiah 29: 14-21 is the message of restoration Glory for Israel and Spiritual Israel. …”A group of Overcomers will arise out of these restoration Glories. They are pictured in Isaiah 28:5 as a residue of his people.
Isaiah 28: 5-6: In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, to the residue of His people. And for a spirit of judgment to him that sits in judgment and for strength to them that turn the battle at the gate.”
Isaiah 25 is a Song of Praise to God for the anticipated deliverance of His people from the judgment of bondage. The principle of praise will equip us to stand in the Day of Battle. (25:1), “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things: Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For you have made of a city an heap; of a defensed city a ruin; a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built, Therefore shall the strong people glorify You, the city of the terrible nations shall fear You.”
This is the praise of God’s people for Kingdom blessing. Then the blessing of all the nations is described under the figure of a Great Feast (15: 6-8) and reveals the Feast of Tabernacles in all its glory! The reproach of God’s people will be removed.
25:4 “For you have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”
(The religious and political systems of men shall be brought down.)
Verse 6: “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make to all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees of all fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”
This verse reveals the Feast of Tabernacles. It takes place in and from Mount Zion. It is for all nations. The wine of this feast is the richest or the best. Heb. 12:22 “You are come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.”
(Verse 9) “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
I wanted to give you the song of Praise for restoration before going to chapter 24 which describes the judgments of the Lord upon the world in the end time. This judgment is upon those who were instrumental in producing the great wickedness that brought the world to disaster. In the midst of this in Verse 23 is described the glorious reign of the Christ. In chapter 26: 20-21, God’s people are called to withdrawn into Him during a time of judgment.
“Come my people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you; hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.”
Chapter 24 deals with the Day of the Lord. The Lord will judge the earth and all classes of the Christ-rejecting society will be affected. The apocalyptic desolations are described, and the reason for them specified. This chapter can be compared with Matthew 24-25.
“Behold the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people. So with the priest; as with the servant, so with the master, as with the maid, so with her mistress; and with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled. For the Lord has spoken this word.
Verse 10-12:“ The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up that no man may come in…In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.”
Then we see the interlude of the Song of the Remnant because of their deliverance in a time of trouble. This judgment is followed by Chapters 25-27 of His Glorious Salvation and Deliverance.
In these chapters, the prophet takes a still wider outlook. He sees how all the world is under the Government (Kingdom) of God! Isaiah states the fact in general terms, and describes a world-wide desolation determined by the Lord God. This determination is first declared. As the prophet looks out on this scene of the desolate city, he seems to hear some note of hope! Somewhere the voices of singers are heard, the prophecy of world-wide judgment ends with the declaration that it will be the act of Jehovah, and will issue in His perfect victory!
21-23: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded , and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously.”
If applied personally, this chapter reveals the devastation of the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Gen. 32: 24-32) the Day of Atonement and the Gethsemane experience prior to the Harvest and the Glory of the Feast of Tabernacles. All the nations and Kingdoms that are within us shall be instructed in the fear of the Lord, and will bend the knee. (Rev. 11:15, Phil. 2: 1-11). In the midst of such dealings, His Song will sustain us (at night)!
13-16: THE REMNANT: “When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. They shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify you the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
I believe we will have no difficulty applying this to our present financial markets.
In this chapter, we see the characteristics of the wicked in the Day of the Lord. In Chapter 25, we heard the Praise of the righteous. In chapter 26, we see the characteristics of the righteous! Here we have Judah’s Kingdom song. 26:1-2:
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open you the gates that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You. Trust you in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength;”
Jerusalem (natural and the “City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem) is celebrated as a saved city opening its gates to welcome the righteous. After mentioning experiences of waiting in the night (7-11), the prophet speaks of the assurances of peace and deliverance (12-18). We see God’s people restored and converted, enjoying the blessing of the Lord, and expressing it in worship and testimony.
Verse 19 is an assurance of the bodily resurrection of the righteous. “Your dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in dust: for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”
This is a song of triumph and trust. God holds fast His own, even through death.
The deep secret of this triumph is the mind stayed on Jesus. (16:3). In him is the Rock of Ages. He has overcome the enemy and established the just. Other demons have had dominion, but it is the Lord God Almighty who increases the nation and enlarges the borders. Isaiah remembers he is still speaking in the midst of judgment, the processes of which must proceed to consummation. The prophet utters a final call to the people of God, urging them to quietness and patience until the indignation is past. God will keep His people during the hour of trial.
In Chapter 27, we see the punishment of Israel’s enemies and the triumph of the Kingdom. It is important to note these enemies are symbolized by leviathan (Psa. 74:14). There are described in triplet.
- Piercing serpent
- Crooked serpent
- Dragon that is in the sea.
I believe we can identify this with the Dragon from the sea of the Book of Revelation. The unholy trinity is to kill, steal and destroy, i.e. Death, Thief and Destroyer; the beast the false prophet and satan. Here we have the Piercing serpent, crooked serpent and dragon that is in the sea. I am not teaching this as absolute, but for consideration.
Here is a triple judgment upon these devils. The dragon from the sea gives the Beast his power. The beast is believed to be metaphorical of unredeemed humanity. I believe the mouth of the beast that speaks blasphemy is the liberal media. This I can teach without blinking. (Smile)
In verses 2-6, We have the assurance of God’s care for His vineyard manifested in the protection and establishment of His people. In Isaiah 5: 1-7, Isaiah sang the funeral dirge of God’s vineyard. Here it is a joy-song of the Vineyard coming to life again! We see Christianity in power coming forth out of Judaism, as well as the present restoration that is taking place in the earth.
“In that day sing you to her, a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; less any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in Me: who would set the briers and thorns against Me in battle! I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of My strength, that the may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.”
The message ends with the process toward restoration, and announces its certainty. The way to restoration is the way of judgment. The first order of this will be the restoring of the vineyard. It is kept by Jesus, and watered every moment; The plantings of His hope. The broken and scattered people are to be brought back at the sound of the trumpet, and are to realize their highest vocation, which is to worship the Lord in the heights of Zion!
This is a different presentation than the message I gave in the year 2000 under the same title, “Turn The Battle At The Gate”. We are in a different season of the Lord. At that time, I was calling ministers, ministries, saints and sinners to repentance that they would be able to “Turn the Battle At the Gate.”. We are now in the midst of the judgments. Many who were standing eight years ago are no longer holding the line. This message is to encourage all of us to repentance with the promise there will be restoration. For the remnant, we will have peace, joy and blessedness as we watch the “earth turned upside down.” 26:10: “Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness, will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.?”
28:9 “Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine?
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from King James Version
Quotes from “Turn The Battle At the Gate” August 13, 2000, Word given to Carolyn Sissom
Text and quotes taken from Principles of Present Truth, Isaiah, by: Kelly Varner
Comments, and conclusions are my own