June 30, 2014
Isaiah 2:2-4
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
The prophet Isaiah is a great resource for information on What Will The Millennium Be Like? His ministry was during the reigns of four kings in the southern kingdom of Judah – from about 740 to 680 BC. It was during this time – 722, 721 BC – that the northern kingdom of Israel was carried away in the Assyrian captivity because of their sins. And Judah wasn’t much better! The southern kingdom was defeated by Babylon and experienced three deportations and a 70 year captivity beginning in 605 BC.
In the midst of such ungodliness and upheaval, Isaiah prophesied of a great future Kingdom – the Millennium – in several different passages in his book. In this blog, we will look at Isaiah 2:2 through 4:
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s
house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and
say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the
God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusa-
lem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any-
more.
Several things from this passage:
• The kingdom will be ruled by Jesus Christ, centered in Israel, and with its capital at Jerusalem – the place of David’s throne (see II Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 9:6 and 7; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Ezekiel 37:22 through 25; Hosea 3:5; Luke 1:30 through 33).
• All the people of all nations of the earth will willingly seek the favor and blessing of King Jesus.
• There will be one true religion – faith in Jehovah God through Jesus Christ the Lord – centered in the temple at Jerusalem, called “…the house of the LORD…” in verse 3.
• As Jesus reigns over the earth, there will be universal peace, justice and judgment. It says in verse 3 of our scripture, “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Note that “…the word of the LORD…” in Isaiah is “…God…the Word…” – Jesus Christ the Lord in John 1:1 and 14.
Isaiah uses these future truths to challenge the Jews in verse 5: “O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”
Should not these prophecies also challenge us to “…walk in the light of the LORD…”? In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” And in verse 130 of the same psalm it says, “The entrance of Your words gives light….” Life can get quite dark at times! But the Lord said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” We get to know Jesus through God’s Word, the Bible. With the Bible so available – especially in the western world – we have no excuse not to “…walk in the light of the LORD….”
This temporal life is – as James says in James 4:14 – “…even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Should we not be preparing for eternal life, of which the thousand year Kingdom of Jesus Christ – the Millennium – is just the start? In Matthew 6:20 we are told to “…lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven….” Even if we only consider the Millennium – a thousand years of what you might say is a rich retirement is a whole lot better goal to pursue than the few years retirement following a working career upon this earth!
May the future surety of the Millennium challenge us to “…walk in the light of the LORD…” – to know the Lord now as Savior so we can be a part of that Kingdom. And may the wonderful descriptions of the Millennium challenge us to live for Him as our Lord so we can enter into those Kingdom glories more fully.