Description
This chapter describes Jesus' millennial reign from his capital, Jerusalem, and God's humbling of humanity in the end-times.
Commentary
This chapter describes Jesus' millennial reign from his capital, Jerusalem, and God's humbling of humanity in the end-times.
Verse 2 describes Millennial Jerusalem and tells us that the mountain of the Lord's temple (or house) will be the most prominent mountain. In the bible, mountains often metaphorically represent kingdoms, so this statement could be interpreted metaphorically to mean that God's kingdom, established in Jerusalem, will rule over every other kingdom. However, Zechariah 14:10 says, "All the land will change and become like the rift valley from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate and on to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses". In other words, it appears that Jerusalem will first be levelled like the rift valley, and then literally raised up to a higher elevation. Geba is about 5 miles north of Jerusalem, and Rimmon is about 35 miles to the south (13 miles south of Hebron). Present Jerusalem will almost certainly be destroyed in the process, so this implies that Millennial Jerusalem will be rebuilt on an elevated mountain plateau, about 40 miles across. According to verse 3, the nations will stream to it and say, "Come, let us go up to the LORD's mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob". Jerusalem will become the centre for moral instruction, and will be the centre of Jesus' government. From there, he will issue edicts (v3), and judge disputes between nations. Metal weapons are reformed into farming implements, and nations no longer train for war. This is a picture of Millennial peace. Weapons will no longer be needed (v4).
Verses 2 to 4 are very similar to Micah 4:1-3. Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries in the 8th century BC.
In light of this future revelation, in verses 5 to 8 Isaiah called the Israelites of his day to walk in the light of the Lord, accusing them of idolatry and of accumulating earthly wealth and security.
In verses 9 to 21, Isaiah has a vision of a day when the arrogant will be humbled and the pride of men brought low. Three times he says that people will hide in rocks and holes from the dread of the Lord and the splendour of his majesty. In Revelation 6:15-17, John has a similar vision of people trying to hide, during the sixth seal judgment, from "the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb". In verses 13 to 16, Isaiah uses various metaphors to represent the arrogant (cedars, oaks, mountains, hills), and the pride of man in what he has made (high towers, fortified walls, trading ships).
In verse 22, Isaiah exhorts Israel to stop trusting in man, implying that instead Israel must put their trust in God.
Verse 2 describes Millennial Jerusalem and tells us that the mountain of the Lord's temple (or house) will be the most prominent mountain. In the bible, mountains often metaphorically represent kingdoms, so this statement could be interpreted metaphorically to mean that God's kingdom, established in Jerusalem, will rule over every other kingdom. However, Zechariah 14:10 says, "All the land will change and become like the rift valley from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate and on to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses". In other words, it appears that Jerusalem will first be levelled like the rift valley, and then literally raised up to a higher elevation. Geba is about 5 miles north of Jerusalem, and Rimmon is about 35 miles to the south (13 miles south of Hebron). Present Jerusalem will almost certainly be destroyed in the process, so this implies that Millennial Jerusalem will be rebuilt on an elevated mountain plateau, about 40 miles across. According to verse 3, the nations will stream to it and say, "Come, let us go up to the LORD's mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob". Jerusalem will become the centre for moral instruction, and will be the centre of Jesus' government. From there, he will issue edicts (v3), and judge disputes between nations. Metal weapons are reformed into farming implements, and nations no longer train for war. This is a picture of Millennial peace. Weapons will no longer be needed (v4).
Verses 2 to 4 are very similar to Micah 4:1-3. Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries in the 8th century BC.
In light of this future revelation, in verses 5 to 8 Isaiah called the Israelites of his day to walk in the light of the Lord, accusing them of idolatry and of accumulating earthly wealth and security.
In verses 9 to 21, Isaiah has a vision of a day when the arrogant will be humbled and the pride of men brought low. Three times he says that people will hide in rocks and holes from the dread of the Lord and the splendour of his majesty. In Revelation 6:15-17, John has a similar vision of people trying to hide, during the sixth seal judgment, from "the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb". In verses 13 to 16, Isaiah uses various metaphors to represent the arrogant (cedars, oaks, mountains, hills), and the pride of man in what he has made (high towers, fortified walls, trading ships).
In verse 22, Isaiah exhorts Israel to stop trusting in man, implying that instead Israel must put their trust in God.
Tags
Places: Israel, Jerusalem, Zion
Symbols: Mountains, Cedars of Lebanon, Oaks of Bashan
Tags: Millennium, Millennial reign of Jesus, Millennial Jerusalem, Jerusalem raised up, Millennial temple, Jesus establishes his kingdom, Nations stream to millennial Jerusalem, Day of Judgment, Mankind humbled, Dread of the Lord, Jesus shakes the earth, Seal judgments, Men hide in caves
Symbols: Mountains, Cedars of Lebanon, Oaks of Bashan
Tags: Millennium, Millennial reign of Jesus, Millennial Jerusalem, Jerusalem raised up, Millennial temple, Jesus establishes his kingdom, Nations stream to millennial Jerusalem, Day of Judgment, Mankind humbled, Dread of the Lord, Jesus shakes the earth, Seal judgments, Men hide in caves
The Future Glory of Jerusalem
2 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz.
2 In the future the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it,
3 many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards.” For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; the Lord’s message will issue from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
5 O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light.
The Lord’s Day of Judgment
6 Indeed, O Lord, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. For diviners from the east are everywhere; they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. Plenty of foreigners are around.
7 Their land is full of gold and silver; there is no end to their wealth. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the product of their own hands, what their own fingers have fashioned.
9 Men bow down to them in homage, they lie flat on the ground in worship. Don’t spare them!
10 Go up into the rocky cliffs, hide in the ground. Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, from his royal splendor!
11 Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 Indeed, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has planned a day of judgment, for all the high and mighty, for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are so high and mighty, for all the oaks of Bashan;
14 for all the tall mountains, for all the high hills,
15 for every high tower, for every fortified wall,
16 for all the large ships, for all the impressive ships.
17 Proud men will be humiliated, arrogant men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated.
19 They will go into caves in the rocky cliffs and into holes in the ground, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.
20 At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live,
21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs and the openings under the rocky overhangs, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.
22 Stop trusting in human beings, whose life’s breath is in their nostrils. For why should they be given special consideration?
2 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz.
2 In the future the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it,
3 many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards.” For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; the Lord’s message will issue from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
5 O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light.
The Lord’s Day of Judgment
6 Indeed, O Lord, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. For diviners from the east are everywhere; they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. Plenty of foreigners are around.
7 Their land is full of gold and silver; there is no end to their wealth. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the product of their own hands, what their own fingers have fashioned.
9 Men bow down to them in homage, they lie flat on the ground in worship. Don’t spare them!
10 Go up into the rocky cliffs, hide in the ground. Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, from his royal splendor!
11 Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 Indeed, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has planned a day of judgment, for all the high and mighty, for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are so high and mighty, for all the oaks of Bashan;
14 for all the tall mountains, for all the high hills,
15 for every high tower, for every fortified wall,
16 for all the large ships, for all the impressive ships.
17 Proud men will be humiliated, arrogant men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated.
19 They will go into caves in the rocky cliffs and into holes in the ground, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.
20 At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live,
21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs and the openings under the rocky overhangs, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.
22 Stop trusting in human beings, whose life’s breath is in their nostrils. For why should they be given special consideration?
(NET)