Hope Reigns Because God Is Victor and in Jesus is our Victory ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba %

Throughout the study of Isaiah, we learn of hope. And as we recognize the unfailing promises of God Hope Reigns within our own hearts. The chaos, turmoil, conflict that currently fills this world cannot steal away our hope, nor our joy in Christ Jesus. Why is that? Because we know, God is Victor and in Jesus is our victory. We see so many prophecies fulfilled exactly as God said. Therefore, we know He is in control and those yet to come will be as spectacularly performed. For that reason, we can remain calm, centered, and full of expectant joy regardless of the circumstances of this world.

Yesterday, my son and granddaughter left Mexico City around two pm heading toward Charlotte, North Carolina. Then the news came that that all planes were being grounded due to a glitch in the FAA computer systems. Were I, my son, nor his daughter worried? No, we know God is in control whatever the outcome. That does not mean we don’t act appropriately. While he was still in the air, I secured a hotel before they were all booked up. (they were booking up fast). Their luggage got left behind, so no clothing changes and no pullups in case of accidents. But Clara boldly said, “God protected her as she had no accidents last night”.

Faith in God and Jesus Christ is our hope in every situation. I was gleeful to hear her say those words.

Hope Reigns in Every Circumstance because God

In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. Isaiah 27:1 ESV

There are many different interpretations of this verse. Some say it was God’s punishment of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. Well perhaps that was a near fulfillment, but most of what is present here points toward the battle of Armageddon followed by the millennial reign of Christ. Or in other words, when Christ returns at the end of the tribulation. That also matches Daniel’s vision. The beasts Daniel saw came out of the sea as well. Imagery of both adds more depth to the picture.

“And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. “The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. “And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’“After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.“While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.

“I kept looking

Until thrones were set up,

And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

His vesture was like white snow

And the hair of His head like pure wool.

His throne was ablaze with flames,

Its wheels were a burning fire.

“A river of fire was flowing

And coming out from before Him;

Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,

And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

The court sat,

And the books were opened.

“Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.

“I kept looking in the night visions,

And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

“And to Him was given dominion,

Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed.

Daniel 7: 3-14 NASB

Hope Reigns Even When We Do Not Understand

Daniel’s dream was a very disturbing and frightening one. But God did not leave him there in confusion. He is always there to show us the way. He also provided the explanation to Daniel. Sometimes, we do not know the immediate explanation, but He does reveal it to us in time. Perhaps some will wait until we see Him face to face, but even then, we will know. On that, we can rest assured.

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’

“Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.

“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. ‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. ‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ “At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.” Daniel 7: 15-28 NASB

Hope reigns for each of us who know Christ as Savior. However, we too should feel a sense of alarm for all those who are lost. Too often, we become complacent and contented. We even think that they deserve it. But do we forget; we deserve it as well, were it not for grace. Shouldn’t my heart long to bring others to know my Lord and Savior? I do not desire that any face the tribulation nor the ultimate judgment. Although, I know God is just and righteous in all that He does. Jesus wept over the lost and unbelieving. Shouldn’t we?

Hope Reigns Because of Jesus, Even If on Earth We are Persecuted, God Wins

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 12: 7-17 NASB

The Woman represents Israel, whom God will yet redeem. These paragraphs could be confusing if you do not recognize clearly the players. God will protect His people. WE know 144,000 Jews will be saved after the rapture and will be the missionaries. God is the only one who can command and destroy Leviathan, the great sea monster of old.

Yet God is my king from of old,

Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.

You divided the sea by Your strength;

You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.

You crushed the heads of Leviathan;

You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.

You broke open springs and torrents;

You dried up ever-flowing streams.

Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;

You have prepared the light and the sun.

You have established all the boundaries of the earth;

You have made summer and winter.

Psalms 74: 12-17 NASB

Hope Reigns, for We Know In That Day

In that day,

“A pleasant vineyard,sing of it!

I, the Lord, am its keeper;

every moment I water it.

Lest anyone punish it,

I keep it night and day;

I have no wrath.

Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!

I would march against them,

I would burn them up together.

Or let them lay hold of my protection,

let them make peace with me,

let them make peace with me.”

In days to come Jacob shall take root,

Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots

and fill the whole world with fruit.

Isaiah 27: 2-6 ESV

Also, we know Evil will be Destroyed, Satan Will be Chained, God Will Redeem His Own

Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them?

Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?

Measure by measure by exile you contended with them;

he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind.

Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for,

and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:

when he makes all the stones of the altars

like chalkstones crushed to pieces,

no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.

For the fortified city is solitary,

a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness;

there the calf grazes;

there it lies down and strips its branches.

When its boughs are dry, they are broken;

women come and make a fire of them.

For this is a people without discernment;

therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them;

he who formed them will show them no favor.

Isaiah 27: 7-11 ESV

Our hope reigns in a Redeemer who called us out to be His own. He is faithful, righteous, and just. His promises are always yes and amen in Jesus.

In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the Lord will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. Isaiah 27:12-13 ESV

Concluding Thoughts

My son and granddaughter are on the final leg of their journey home. What should have been 12 hours, now 36 hours. Yet, each step of the way, they praised God for each blessing He had provided. Even the inability to retrieve the luggage throughout. It arrived and they did not have to lug it behind them all these hours. When we trust Him, we see the trials of this world are only brief annoyances. But His protection is there even before it happens–He plans for us and keeps us safe in a broken world. Only He knows what is best and only He can make Leviathan stay clear of harming us His children.

A Song to Remind You Hope Reigns

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. I urge you to seek Him today.
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Check out my other website about the inspiration behind each song at Effie Darlene Barba, Songwriter and Poet

How Isaiah Displays the Sovereign Grace of God in the Most Breathtaking Way

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. That is except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR. Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Please note: This Post only has quotes from the KJV Bible except where otherwise indicated

¹ J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

BSB (BEREAN STUDY BIBLE)

The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially dedicated to the public domain as of April 30, 2023.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Common English Bible (CEB)

Photo taken by Angela Barba and used by Permission