And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? 2 Kings 20:9 Question:
What is the significance of having the shadow go back 10 degrees on the dial of Ahaz?

Simple answer: Hezekiah is looking for a sign, a miracle. Having the shadow go forward or down 10 degrees wouldn't be a miracle. It would be natural. Having it go back would be a miracle!

But still, what is the Spiritual Significance of having it go back 10 degrees.

If you read carefully in II Kings you'll find that it says it went back 10 degrees from which it had gone down.

And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. 2 Kings 20:11 Now the shadow on a sundial goes up for a while and then it begins to go down. This tracks the activity of the sun. First it comes up and then it begins to go down. OK When exactly does it begin to go down? When it passes high noon! Obvious?

So Hezekiah's sign is that the shadow goes back to high noon. So the sun goes back to high noon. At that point, directly overhead, the shadow disappears!

So putting on our spiritual ears to hear with we see that the sign speaks of a restoration of the light. Since Jesus Christ is the Light, and the light is at it maximum or its fullness at high noon, what does this mean? It means the fullness of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, in whom there is no shadow [of turning.]! Does that idea have any impact on you?

Also consider this. 10 is the number of the Law. That is, the word of God. Now we know Jesus is the Word of God, So this mention of 10 degrees speaks of restoring the rule of God's Law. Or it speaks of Revealing the Word as Contained in the Law. In the book of Revelation we see God reveals himself. No man is worthy but Jesus is shown opening the scroll which represents the Word of God. So we see that Jesus reveals Himself, the Word of God. That's The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Next, what is this sign a sign of? What is the purpose of having this sign, what does it point to?

It is a sign that the Lord will do the thing that he has spoken. I. E. fulfill his word.

Well Old King Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would be healed. The prophet Isaiah could have said something cute like "You'll feel better when the pain goes away!" But instead He asked the King to make a choice. Should the shadow go down or back up? It would have been enough of a sign to have the pain go away and feel better. But the rest of the story is the second part of the Kings question. What shall be the sign that I'll be healed and Go up into the House of the Lord on the Third day.?

What does the healing mean?

And more importantly what does going up to the House of the Lord mean?,
And what does on the third day mean?

The answers are interrelated and hard to separate. The healing and the third day are mentioned in Hosea 6.

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. Hosea 6:1-3 The latter rain is what brings the harvest!

Here Hosea speaks of healing and revival. And it all happens on the third day. The Harvest comes on the Third Day.

The Third Day is the Millenium.

It is a common mistake to assume that the millenium begins after Jesus returns and brings peace.. It begins just before. One parallel to the millenium in scripture is the reign of King Solomon. His kingdom was established during a time of Civil War in Israel, peace came later. Likewise Jesus' Kingdom is going to be established during a time of Civil War in the Church, and peace will come at his return. In 2 Kings 11 read the story of queen Athaliah. a clear type of Satan. She ruled the land for 6 years and in the 7th year the true heir was crowned king in the temple while she still ruled in the city outside. Then she was overthrown. The seventh year speaks of the Millenium. Likewise Jesus will build and occupy his temple at the beginning of the millenium and then return physically to overthrow Satan. See The Third Day in Prophecy

House of the Lord is His Church.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:2-3 In this case Isaiah is saying the temple or church will be built in the last days.

The House is not yet built.

Next realize that the House is not yet built. But the Lord will give us a sign that we can go up on the third day. And that’s because He will build it at that time.

There is a certain sense in which it is impossible to go up to the House of the Lord. That is you can't go there till the place gets built. Just as we cannot say we rejoice in the unity of the brethren. There is no unity of the brethren. Not today, not yet.

In the figurative terms God uses in the bible, the unity of the brethren, the church is the same as the assembling of the Body of Christ and the same as the building of the temple. All the many, many passages that talk about building the tabernacle or the temple are speaking about the Church.

Now the church is not in unity because it's members are not in submission to the Lordship of Jesus. Speaking of the Body, we can say that the members are not rightly connected, not in their proper place and not holding fast to the head. So the parts of the body do not respond instantly to the commands that come from the head. Speaking of the temple, we can say it is not yet built because the foundation is not yet laid. The foundation is the Lordship of Jesus who is the head stone. The head of many living stones. The temple is not built because the son of man has not a place where to lay his head, the head stone.

 

But God gave Hezekiah a sign that he would do what he promised.

The meaning of that sign points to a sign that God will give us in these later days.

And that is The Revelation of Jesus Christ!

The sign is a sign that God will confirm his Covenant. That he will do what he said he would do.

This sign that God will fulfill his word, the prophetic scriptures is connected with the healing and the restoration of the church. This happens on the third day. This must take place during the millenium. After two days he will heal us, on the third day he will raise us up.

Hezekiah's illness parallels the tearing and the smiting of Hosea 6:1-3.

It is the judgment on the church that comes first. Then we will have redemption and restoration. This is the healing.

The Illness Hezekiah comes right after the Assyrian invasion of Judah and siege of Jerusalem. When the Lord hears Judah's cries for help and comes and devastates the Assyrian host. This is also an allegory of the judgment and redemption process. The Assyrian Host is like the Hordes of Hell!

" ... When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19 An almost parallel passage is found in Matthew 16, here the Rock is Jesus the Headstone of the Church. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt 16:18 The judgment and redemption process is a common theme all through the book of Isaiah. You can find it beginning with Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And it is especially in Chap 28 & 29. See 'Lessons from The Duck Yard''

Is it any wonder that He begins Chapter 40 with the words Comfort Ye My People? And end it with the famous passage - But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31! This is what it means to be healed and to be able to go up unto the house of the Lord.

Surely this is a description of the Church Redeemed and flowing in Full Revival!

To sum up what we've said so far, the Revelation of Jesus Christ will be a sign that God is about to Build his temple and bring in the great end time harvest of souls.

So now what is the sign of the Revelation of Jesus Christ? Or what are the signs? How will we know that this is happening?

Look back in the book of Revelation. We said that Jesus opening the scroll is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. What happens after each seal is broken, one by one? Great Judgments come forth.

Look in Psalm 9

The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. .... Ps 9:16 It says the Lord is known by the judgments. That is one of the ways He reveals Himself, through judgments. And these judgments are redemptive. They will bring the Latter Rain, and The Great Harvest. Isaiah 29 says: With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:9 So God's Judgments in the Earth are a sign of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And a sign He is confirming His Covenant and fulfilling scriptures. A sign that He is about to keep his promises. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28 [Previous Article] [Next Article]

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