Well, I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to that passage that he mentioned, Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63, and I'm going to begin our reading actually in verse 10 of chapter 62. It would be wonderful to even go back further and give you a larger context. All of 61, it talks about the coming of the Messiah into 62, what he's doing for the church. And here in chapter 63, what he will do to his enemies when he comes to rescue his church so Isaiah 62 beginning in verse 10 go through go through the gates prepare the way for the people build up build up the highway take out the stones Lift up a banner for the peoples.

Indeed, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world, Say to the daughter of Zion, Surely your salvation is coming. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken." Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra, this one who was glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me, For I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my robes. For the day of Vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold. Therefore my own arm brought salvation for me, and my own fury it sustained me I have trodden down the people's in my anger made them drunk in my fury and brought down their strength to the earth If you had been given a piece of paper and a pen upon hearing for the first time the theme of this conference, the glory of Jesus Christ, and you had been asked to list 10 topics that you anticipated hearing regarding the glory of Jesus Christ.

What would those topics have been? More particularly, would a message on the wrath of Jesus Christ have been on that list? When I was asked to preach at the conference, I readily admit that this topic didn't even cross my mind as I began to sort through the possibilities. Rather, this topic was suggested to me for my consideration. And a brief glance at several passages of Scripture impressed upon me the rightness, actually the necessity of such a topic at this conference.

In fact, the more I looked at the scripture, the dilemma became what text do I use to preach this? Well, as evident at this point that the text you have open before you is the one I have chosen. And so this morning I hope to open up under this text here the following four headings. Number one, a triumphant approach, a triumphant approach. Number two, a terrifying appearance, a terrifying appearance.

Number three, a twofold agenda. A twofold agenda. And then fourth, a tragic abandonment. A tragic abandonment. So number one, a triumphant approach.

Verse one, Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra, this one who is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness mighty to save." By means of asking a question, Isaiah draws the attention of all toward this one who is approaching. Who is this? Who? Who is this?

He wants his readers to consider the identity of this one, this one who is coming up from Edom, that question is still valid today. Who is this one? You, my friend, sitting here this morning, you need to grapple with this One who is being described. Who is He? Who is He?

The chapter break creates an unfortunate break in the context. We need to go back to the previous chapter to truly understand the flow of our passage. Commentator E.J. Young writes, Having described in the previous chapter the exaltation of Zion and her enlargement through the influx of the Gentiles, the prophet turns to describe the destruction of Zion's enemies. Continuing his usage of imagery, he deals with the question of how Zion can safely endure as long as enemies as hostile and vicious as Edom are at hand and pictures their destruction as the sanguinary triumph of the Lord." And so the context of our passage comes right out of the Declaration in chapter 62, verse 11.

Look at it with me. Indeed, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world, say to the daughter of Zion, surely your salvation is coming. Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him. You see, salvation is coming in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And I think, again, the context, if you look back at chapter 61, in chapter 61, That's the good news of salvation.

Chapter 61 is the portion of scripture that Christ reads there in the synagogue in his hometown about his coming. And so what we're to understand by this salvation is the final salvation of his people, that final redemption that he's bringing. And when he comes, he will have with him both a reward and a work to carry out. This reward in this work referred to is the exaltation of Zion and the destruction of all of Zion's enemies. The very thing carried out in our passage here in chapter 63.

So who is this who Isaiah sees? This one is none other than the God-man Jesus Christ. Note with me the description of his triumphant approach. Number one, in this approach, Christ is described as glorious in apparel. Glorious in apparel.

Glorious in spite of the fact that his garments are said to be dyed. The word dyed in the Hebrew means to be of a bright color, such as dazzles the eye. The color is so vivid that it leaves Isaiah to ask questions about it in the next verses. The Hebrew root word for glorious indicates that in this bright apparel Christ as it were sits high in the saddle. There is majesty on display.

He rides forth triumphant. You can think back last night to the description that our brother Pastor Lawson, Dr. Lawson gave diadem upon diadem upon diadem upon diadem. Secondly, in this approach Christ is also described as traveling in the greatness of his strength. The word traveling actually depicts, the root word has the idea of bending, and it's the idea of bending back the head, the lifting of the chin.

I say it reverently, he has a righteous swagger. We see in this approach the abundance of his strength. He is triumphant and he knows it. The battle has not left him disheveled in his appearance nor has it left him weak in his being. He's glorious in his apparel and he comes forth in the greatness, not the remainder, the greatness of his strength.

The third description of this triumphant approach is seen in his own answer to the question of his identity. He points to his words and to his deeds as a means of self-identification. In these two things, he distinguishes himself from all others. By these things, we can know who it is who approaches. He speaks in righteousness.

Yes, words of peace as well as words of condemnation, all spoken in righteousness. No man ever spoke in righteousness like this one. He is also mighty to save. Yes, his glory is seen as much in his power to save as his power to destroy. In fact, as we shall see unfold before us, the destruction actually takes place as a result of or in conjunction with his salvation.

My brother, my sister, you who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, this one, this one who comes from Edom in glorious apparel and great strength. This is your Savior. This is your Deliverer. The one who speaks in righteousness, the one who is mighty to save, the triumphant one, no matter your circumstance, no matter who stands in your path today, no matter what the outlook, he is your conquering King. Well having considered his triumphant approach, note secondly in our passage a terrifying appearance, a terrifying appearance.

Verses 2 and 3. Why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the winepress?" And the answer, I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the people no one was with me. For I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my robes." As this one approaches, this triumphant one, the brightness of his apparel, the vivid shade of the red upon his clothes, draws out further questions from Isaiah. How is the garment so red?

And why does it appear like the garment of one who has been crushing grapes beneath his feet? The answer of the triumphant Christ is that these stains are upon his garments alone and these deep red stains are from the blood of his enemies, he has trodden in his anger and trampled in his fury. His fury. As he crushed his enemies, the blood was sprinkled upon all his garments. His clothes are stained with the blood.

This act of fury and anger is His alone. None are with Him. Acts 17 31 tells us that Christ is the one who has been appointed to carry out this judgment. God has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. Remember, he is coming up from Edom, From the very capital of Edom, Basra.

What significance does that have? Well, those of Edom are descendants of Esau, the descendants of him who despised this birthright, who thought little of the inheritance that came from a godly father. The prophet Amos, in verse 11 of chapter 1, declares the sentence of Jehovah upon Edom. Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Edom and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother Israel with the sword and cast off all pity. His anger tore perpetually and he kept his wrath forever.

God remembered what Edom had done to Israel, and in Psalm 137 verse 7, the psalmist called on God to remember again the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, who said, raise it, raise it to its very foundation. But we must not take this Edom as just specifically for Edom itself. What are we to make of this reference to Edom? Well, I quote E.J. Young again, Edom is mentioned as a representative of the powers that oppose God and in its destruction, we see their destruction.

All that would hinder the establishment of God's kingdom upon earth must pass away through judgment." And so we are to see in Edom, in the capital city of Basra, all the enemies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and all the enemies of his bride, the church. Recall the words of Christ who said that the one who is not for him is against him. When we think about the enemies of Christ, they are all of those who are not for him. Many evangelicals in our day would quickly declare that this description is an accurate portrayal of the God of the Old Testament, but they would go on to argue that the God of the New Testament is not like this at all. Well, stop to consider the book of Revelation.

It's the last book of the canon ever written. Recall to mind the description of the terrifying appearance of Christ found in Revelation 19 as opened up by Dr. Lawson so powerfully last night. Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems.

He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This is our New Testament Savior. Dear ones, Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are not free to make and worship a Christ of our own liking. We are not at liberty to preach a 21st century acceptable Christ. We preach a Christ who spans all of eternity and rules over all creation.

We must declare him only as he has declared himself. And this description should strike fear and terror in all those who do not love him. A triumphant approach, a terrifying appearance, and now next in our passage we see declared by Christ himself a twofold agenda. A twofold agenda. Verses 4 to 6.

For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. I looked, But there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold. Therefore, my own arm brought salvation for me, and my own fury it sustained me. I have trodden down the peoples in my anger, made them drunk in my fury, and brought down their strength to the earth. The opening sentence of these verses sets before us the two-fold agenda.

Vengeance and redemption. Vengeance and redemption. These themes have been before us since the first verse of chapter 62 where it really started to talk about the redemption of Zion. Behold your king is coming. But here we see the vengeance.

Now we don't have time to tease the thought out, but Suffice it to say that your eschatology needs to be fashioned and formed by the boundaries of this text before us. The Day of Vengeance occurs in conjunction with the release of God's people in this declared year of Jubilee. Redemption and vengeance are tied together. Note the strong words in the text, these verses four to six, words that convey this two-fold agenda. Vengeance, redeemed, salvation, fury, trodden down, anger, drunk, and fury once again.

This is how Christ has determined to get glory to His name. It is through His vengeance and it is through his redemption. He declares that he looked and he wondered at the fact that no one else could help. I would propose to you that this is not an indication that he was looking for help, that he was disappointed that there was none to help him. But this is rather a statement of fact that none, none could save, none could deliver, none could do what he had to do this is a work of Christ that he has taken up himself indeed it's it's a work given to him as we saw in act 17 given to him by his father.

God's appointed a man, the man Christ Jesus. God alone acted in the acts of creation. God acted alone in the act of salvation, and God acts alone in this work of judgment. When he comes to deliver his church, he also comes to destroy his enemies. John's version of Isaiah's scene depicts Christ with the many diadems upon his head, and so we see that He comes as the King of all creation, and more specifically, the King of His church.

The Baptist Shorter Catechism asks and then answers the following question. Question number 27. How does Christ execute the office of a king? Christ executes the office of a king in calling his church out of the world to be a people for himself and in ruling and defending it, subduing, saving, preserving, and blessing His elect. We see in that His salvation, His redemption.

And in restraining, conquering, and in restraining, conquering, and taking vengeance on all His enemies and all their enemies. Dear ones, Please hear what I am about to say. This is the heart of everything I am trying to say through this message. The Church of Jesus Christ, if she is to glorify her King, must acknowledge, must preach, must must acknowledge, must preach, must relish, must hope in this revealed will and plan of saving His church and destroying His and their enemies. This conference this week is concerning the glory of Jesus Christ.

We must not rob Jesus Christ of His glory that He is due as our King, the glory He is due in the salvation of His people, and yes, the glory he is due in the destruction of all of those who have not bowed the knee. This leads us to consider fourthly and finally a tragic abandonment, a tragic abandonment. What is this tragic abandonment of which I'm speaking Sadly the church of our day has shrunk back from a declaration a full declaration of the glory of Jesus Christ. They instead take it upon themselves to determine what they think is glorious and placed before the world, a deformed Christ, a pathetic Christ, a weak Christ. Johannes G.

Vos wrote the following in the Westminster Theological Journal, Instead of being influenced by sickly sentimentalism of the present day, Christian people should realize that the glory of God demands, it demands the destruction of evil. Instead of being insistent upon the assumed but really non-existent rights of men, they should focus their attention upon the rights of God. Instead of being ashamed of the imprecatory Psalms and attempting to apologize for them and explain them away. Christian people should glory in them and not hesitate to use them in the public and private exercise of the worship of God. They should glory in these imprecatory Psalms.

They should use them in the worship of God without apology. Think of it in the following terms. Do you, as a blood-bought sinner who has been reconciled to God, do you desire to know the glory of Jesus Christ in that great salvation? You do, don't you? One of the greatest means to actually seeing, to actually understanding and basking in that glory, in that salvation, is actually a fresh study, consideration, and meditation upon the just and holy judgment of God due to all the sons of Adam and most specifically to you as you think of your salvation, what you deserve, the wrath you deserved.

It was this very same vengeance that we read about in Isaiah 63. It's the very same vengeance, very same wrath, very same fury, just treading down. It's justly due to all of us as sinners. And it was this very same vengeance, this very same wrath, this very same fury that Jesus Christ took voluntarily upon himself. When we consider the glory of the wrath of Jesus Christ.

This glory is seen in His great salvation, but it is also seen in His holy vengeance. It is that very wrath of a righteous and thrice holy God that Jesus took up in the cup into his own hands, given to him by his father. The very same wrath that he's unleashing here. He took in the cup from his father and he drank it down to the very last dregs. Not a drop of that wrath, my friend, towards you.

Not a drop remaining in that cup. Full propitiation, full satisfaction, full reconciliation, full atonement. But it's that very same wrath that Jesus endured, which will be poured out Upon sinners who will not bow the knee to King Jesus, who will not repent of their sins and seek salvation in Christ alone, he will either drink that wrath down or He will pour it out upon you. He'll pour it out. You my dear friend here this morning, consider the cup of righteous and holy divine wrath that you as the son, as the daughter of Adam are deserving of, has that wrath been drunk down for you by Jesus Christ?

Or, or will it be poured out upon your head on that last and final day? It's one or the other. Christ will have the glory if not in your salvation Then in your judgment if not in drinking down the wrath of God on your behalf And on pouring out that same wrath upon you today is the day of salvation Today is the day that his hands are held forth in the invitation, come to me, come to me. But the day is coming when those hands will turn over and the palms will be stretched forth. And those very same hands will say by their position, it's too late.

It's too late. The door will have been shut and judgment is at hand. Flee to Christ today. Flee! Kiss the Son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is is kindled but a little blessed are all those who put their trust in him well in light of the discussion of the glory of Christ demonstrated in his wrath I want to close with a consideration of the Psalms that have come to be known as imprecatory Psalms, imprecatory Psalms.

I trust you are familiar with that term, the imprecatory Psalms. I'm going to move ahead because of time and just assume that you are. I highly, highly recommend a little book by James Adams. James Adams. It's War Psalms of the Prince of Peace, Lessons from the Imprecatory Psalms.

It's published by PNR Publishing and I do know that it is sold by Reformation Heritage Books. I stopped by yesterday hoping they had some, they don't, but this is an excellent book. I highly recommend it. Mr. Adams in the preface of the book states that this book to his knowledge is the first of its kind in the English language.

I can't confirm that, but think about your own. What have you run across? What have you read about the imprecatory Psalms? I had not read anything until this book. Mr.

Adams in the the preface of the book states this, I believe with all my heart That embracing and proclaiming anew the essential truths taught here in these imprecatory Psalms will climax in the prosperity and advancement of the kingdom of God on the earth when these holy prayers are again prayed in the Spirit and with understanding there will come unsuspected power and glory to respected power and glory to the Church of Christ." Consider the following. Number one, These imprecatory Psalms, like all the other Psalms, are God-breathed. They are God-breathed. And we know what Paul told Timothy, because they are God-breathed, they are what? Profitable.

They're profitable. You do believe that, don't you? You do believe that. Secondly, these imprecatory psalms, like all the other psalms, are actually prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are prayers as are all the Psalms.

They are prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ. After seeking to prove this point in his book, Mr. Adams goes on to state, The prayers that cry out for the utter destruction of the psalmist's enemies can only be grasped when heard from the loving lips of the Lord Jesus. These prayers signal an alarm to all who are still enemies of King Jesus. His prayers will be answered.

God's wrath is revealed upon all who oppose Christ Anyone who rejects God's way of forgiveness in the cross of Christ Will bear the dreadful curses of God All the enemies of the Lord need to hear these prayers of Christ proclaimed today. They are not the prayers of a careless and compassionless tyrant, but the effectual prayers of the Lamb of God who bore the curse of God for the sins of all who bow their knee to Him. The wrath of the Psalms must be preached as the wrath of the Lamb of God. God's kingdom is at war." Third, these imprecatory Psalms acknowledge God as the avenger of the elect, God as the avenger. It's not necessary for the church to carry out justice on any of her enemies.

Even the voice of the faithful martyrs cries out, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? These prayers acknowledge God's righteousness and his justice, as well as His timing in bringing just retribution to pass forth. These imprecatory Psalms should impassion us in our mission to the lost. They should impassion us for our mission for the lost. Are we truly convinced of what awaits the wicked?

Are we convinced? Are we? Paul says, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men both about that judgment and about the only means to escape. The reality of the wrath that rests upon the lost coupled with the fresh reality of our being saved from that very wrath should speed us on our way in proclaiming the only way of salvation. Fifthly, these imprecatory Psalms should encourage, should encourage both our faith and our zeal.

It should encourage our faith and our zeal. Isaiah 53 or 35 rather, Isaiah 35 3 through 4 says, Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful hearted, be strong, do not fear. Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With the recompense of God, He will come and save you.

His salvation is coming and His works before Him. And sixthly and finally, the imprecatory prayers are not just for warrior kings like David. Such a such a prayer is not for warrior kings like David. There's a lot of young women here in the room today. Listen to this prayer by Hannah, the mother of Samuel.

I don't have time. Let me just say, go read that prayer. Read that prayer in 1 Samuel 2. 1 Samuel 2, see the way Hannah prays. She both extols the Lord for salvation, for hearing her, and delivering this one to her, Samuel.

But she also prays down God's judgment and his wrath upon the enemies of Israel. The gentle woman who Didn't seem to speak another word to her husband's other wife But when she prayed she prayed to God the Avenger Well having considered Christ's glorious apparel and his coming in the greatness of his strength I leave you with the words of Isaiah 51 Isaiah 51 thus says the Lord your Lord these are actually the words in 52 1 but if you pick up the context in 51.22, it says this, well actually I've got the two together 51 and 22 and 52.1, Thus says your Lord, the Lord and your God, who pleads the cause of his people, see I have taken out of your hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury. You shall no longer drink it. That's the salvation. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to you, lie down that we may walk over you, and you have laid your body like the ground and as the street for those who walk over and then hear these words to the church awake awake put on your strength Oh Zion put on your strength who was coming for meet him in the greatness of his strength put on your strength Oh Zion put on your beautiful garments.

Glorious in apparel. O Jerusalem, the holy city, Christ gives us strength. He gives us glorious apparel. So we, like that picture in Revelation 19, with him going at the head, we follow along on white horses in our strength that he's given us and in this glorious apparel of ours that he has given us. The glory of Jesus Christ seen in his wrath both in his drinking down that wrath for the redemption of his church and in Pouring that wrath out upon his head or upon his enemies and his church's enemies all glory Lord in honor to thee Redeemer King, let's pray Father we ask for grace to consider your glory as you have declared it, that we would worship you as you desire to be worshiped.

Lord, thank you for drinking down this wrath for sinners like us, and give us grace to go and preach that message, that you are a vengeful God, that you will not hold him guiltless, who has disdained the name of Christ and Lord we ask that you would give us grace to be bold in this message and that we would arise in the strength that you have given us and in the glorious apparel that is ours through Christ and Help us to realize and follow This our glorious conqueror and realize that we are more than conquerors through him In his great name we pray, amen.