09/08/2018 - THERE IS NO MORE CONDEMNATION

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It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. Isaiah 10: 27

Assyria was the terror of the world during Isaiah’s day as a prophet in Judah. When they wanted to, the kings of this nation invaded and dominated the dominions of other peoples. The devil did this until the Son of God came to Earth to destroy the evil works. Today, the story has changed. Spiritual Assyria ceased to be what it was, and we have to restore the tribes of Jacob – spiritual Israel – and bring back their captives.

Years before Isaiah revealed this prophecy the Assyrians symbolized the demons acting freely, oppressing and destroying people. The Lord waited anxiously for the moment to bring an end to the evil empire. With Jesus’ victory in His death, when He defeated the devil and took from his hands the keys of death and Hell, the lordship of the enemy over humanity came to an end. This is the Good News to be preached to all.

The prophecy of Isaiah was clear and direct in referring to the king of Assyria, telling this nation that the indignation of the Lord would be fulfilled as well as His wrath. As it happened with Egypt in the Red Sea, it would occur to it as a symbol of Satan’s eternal defeat. Nothing that has been prophesied has failed to take place, therefore, our message today must be positive, with Good News, so that everyone may be delivered.

The prophet declared that the people of God should not fear the Assyrian Empire, which would invest against Judah as it had done with Israel. Even in error, the kingdom of the North believed in victory, because they thought the Lord was ahead. However, when Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, surrounded Samaria and conquered it, the inhabitants of the North discovered that to sin against the Almighty is very foolish. Then came the day of the enemy’s invasion.

In his fury, Sennacherib, the new king of Assyria, took over the territory of the southern kingdom and demanded the capitulation of Jerusalem. But he did not expect that Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was a servant of God. Thus, together with Isaiah, Hezekiah prayed, and at the night the Lord sent an angel who destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Thus, Sennacherib returned home defeated, and when he entered the temple of his god, his sons killed him (2 Kings 19: 32-37). Mercy!

The destruction of the invincible empire was a symbol of the work accomplished by Jesus in His descent to Hell, at the time of His death. The Son of God stripped Satan and his demons, performing a public show of them, when they confessed to be defeated. The Savior stripped them of the authority they had taken from man. Just as Gideon put an end to the wickedness of the Midianites against Israel, and as it happened to Pharaoh at the sea, they were annihilated.

What Isaiah revealed has already occurred: Jesus overcame the devil. So, our burden was removed from our shoulders and the yoke from our neck. By believing in Christ, the devil can no longer regain control over us, for he has been shattered because of the Lord’s anointing in our lives. Seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and then the anointing will break every oppression.

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares