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 The
Mountain of the Lord's House
(above:
photo from mountain overlooking Sea of Galilee)
"The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem. 2 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 into it. 3 Many people shall come and say, 'Come, 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
Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, And 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 anymore. 5 O house of Jacob,
come and let us walk in the light of the LORD." (See also Micah
4:1-5).
There are two ideas usually advanced regarding the reason these two
passages are almost identical. One is that both prophets quote from
an earlier source. The other is that one of the prophets took it
from the other. However, some would have Isaiah taking it from
Micah, others would have Micah taking it from Isaiah and still
others are not certain who took it from whom, but one took it from
the other. I prefer Peter's explanation of the giving of prophecy:
"...prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (1 Peter 1:21). Thus
Isaiah and Micah prophesied that which the Holy Spirit moved each of
them to prophecy. Why should that be thought strange when we
consider Matthew, Mark, Luke and John repeatedly wrote about the
same things?
Isaiah is straight forward regarding the thrust of the vision. What
he saw was concerning Judah and Jerusalem. What he saw was not for
the present nor near future, but rather "it shall come to pass in
the latter days." This is the only occurrence of the expression
"latter days" in the prophecy of Isaiah. However, it is not the only
place it occurs in the Old Testament. After defining the Hebrew word
involved as meaning: "in the end of the days," THE NEW
BROWN-DRIVER-BRIGGS-GESENIUS HEBREW-ENGLISH LEXICON makes this
comment: "a prophetic phrase denoting the final period of the
history so far as the speaker's perspective reaches; the sense thus
varies with the context, but it often is the ideal or Messianic
future." It seems to be generally agreed that Isaiah used it in
reference to the Messianic age.
Many interpret "the mountain of the LORD'S house Shall be
established on the top of the mountains" as a reference to the
prominence upon which the temple was built in Jerusalem. However, in
prophecy symbols generally have the same meaning although they may
be applied to a variety of things. In the prophecy concerning
Babylon in Jeremiah 51:25 the prophet wrote, "'Behold I am against
you O destroying mountain, who destroys the earth,' says the LORD."
'And I will stretch our My hand against you, Roll you down from the
rocks, And make you a burnt mountain'." A mountain as a prophetic
symbol indicates either a kingdom or a government which amounts to
the same thing due to the fact that a kingdom is a form of
government.
Thus it seems proper to understand the meaning of Isaiah 2:2 is that
the government of the house of the LORD shall have preeminence over
all levels of human governments. This harmonizes with Daniel 2:44
which tells us about a kingdom which God will set up that never
shall be destroyed and will break in pieces and consume the world
kingdoms of the prophecy and shall stand forever. It also harmonizes
with the depiction of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords
(Revelation 19:16).
The mountain considered is "the mountain of the LORD'S house."
Although it would be natural for one to imagine that Isaiah would
think of the physical temple in Jerusalem, it should be kept in mind
that the prophets did not always understand the things they
prophesied (1 Peter 1:10 & 11). The New Testament gives another
identity to "the LORD'S house." In 1 Timothy 3:15 the apostle Paul
wrote, "I write so you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in
the house of God, which is the church of the living God,...." Now
consider the fact that the church is equated with the kingdom. In
Luke 22:29 & 30 Jesus told His apostles, "...I bestow upon you a
kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat
and drink at My table in My kingdom,...." Paul wrote the church at
Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2) then in chapter 10 verses 14 - 21 warned them
against idolatry and fellowship with demons, stating in verse 21
"you cannot partake of the Lord's table and the table of demons."
Thus showing that the Lord's table is in the church and therefore
the Lord's Kingdom. Of course this simply shows that those in the
church are the citizens governed by the King of the Kingdom. In
Isaiah 2:2 "The mountain of the LORD'S house" refers to the
government of the church which now is the LORD'S house - the house
of God.
"And all nations shall flow to it." After His resurrection Jesus,
having received all authority, commissioned His apostles to go make
disciples of all the nations (Mt. 28:19). In Acts 1:8 Jesus told
them, "...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Chapter 2 of Acts
records the Holy Spirit coming upon them and from that point through
the book of Jude we have a record of the fulfilling of the
Commission which Jesus gave. The invitation of Jesus is: "Come to
Me, all..." (Mt. 11:28 - 30). When the apostle Peter went to the
house of Cornelius, he said, "...in every nation whoever fears Him
and works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:35). And in
Colossians 1:23 the apostle Paul wrote that the gospel "was preached
to every creature under heaven...."
The fulfilling of the "many people" section of Isaiah 2:3 can be
seen in the New Testament record of the establishment of the church
on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and then its growth and
development as the disciples of Jesus, being scattered from
Jerusalem by persecution, went everywhere preaching the gospel - the
word of truth (Eph. 1:13). "Philip went down to the city of Samaria"
(Acts 8:5). Philip baptized the Ethiopian nobleman "and he went on
his way" home (Acts 8:39). Thus the gospel became known in Ethiopia.
Then we learn of a disciple at Damascus (Acts 9:10). In Acts 9:31 we
read about "churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria." We
then read about saints "in Lydda" (Acts 9:32). Next we are told of
those in Sharon turning "to the Lord" (Acts 9:35). In Acts 9:36 - 38
we learn of disciples at Joppa. In Acts 10 and 11 we learn about the
gospel being taken to the Gentile Cornelius. In Acts 11:19 we are
told about those scattered by the persecution going to Phoenicia,
Cyprus and Antioch "preaching the word." "...The disciples were
first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). In Acts 13:5 we
read about Barnabas and Saul preaching at Salamis, Cyprus. The
record continues to reveal the spread of the gospel as far as Rome
and even Paul contemplating of going into Spain. Paul's
contemplation of Spain does not necessarily mean that the gospel had
not gone there. There were saints at Rome before Paul went there
(Ro. 1:7 & 13). Indeed many from the various nations were flowing
into the church.
The last part of verse 3 is a parallelism: "For out of Zion shall go
forth the law. And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." The
elements of this parallelism are reversed. The beginning of the
first line corresponds with the end of the second line, "Zion" and
"Jerusalem" mean the same. And the end of the first line corresponds
with the beginning of the second line, "the law" and "word of the
LORD" mean the same. The law by which those who lived before Moses
did not go forth from Zion nor from Jerusalem. Neither did the law
of the LORD given through Moses go forth from Zion or from
Jerusalem, but from Sinai. Therefore Isaiah prophesied regarding a
new law. The prophet Jeremiah also prophesied regarding a new law in
chapter 31 verses 31 - 34. There the prophecy is of a new covenant.
However, in that prophecy is the statement, "I will put my law in
their minds, and write it in their hearts." That this prophecy has
been fulfilled may be observed in Hebrews chapters 8 and 10. In the
allegory regarding a desire to be under the law which is found in
Galatians 4:21 - 31 plainly shows that the bondwoman and freewoman
are symbolic of two covenants. The covenant from Mount Sinai
symbolized by the bondwoman, but Jerusalem above which is the mother
of us all is symbolized by the freewoman because we are not children
of the bondwoman, but of the free.
In Hebrews 12:18 - 24 we are informed that we have not come to Mount
Sinai (vv. 18 - 21), but unto Mount Zion, the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the general assembly and church of
the firstborn ones and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
Observe the things mentioned both in Isaiah 2 and here. The
fulfilling of the prophecy "out of Zion shall go forth the law. And
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" actually began at literal
physical Jerusalem. However, the things which we have considered
indicate that the prophecy was not referring to physical Jerusalem,
but rather "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem."
Previously we noticed the spreading of the word of the Lord when
those scattered by the persecution went everywhere preaching it. Now
notice in Romans 10:17 that faith is by hearing the word of God.
Then consider 1 Thessalonians 1:8 where Paul wrote, "...from you the
word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia, but in
every place. Your faith toward God has gone out,...." The law which
is the word of the LORD did not originate with the firstborn ones -
the church, but the church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1
Tim. 3:15). Individually and collectively the firstborn ones have a
responsibility to support the truth taught by Jesus Christ and those
whom He authorized to speak for Him. In John 13:20 Jesus said, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives
Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." And the
apostle Peter wrote, "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles
of God." In fulfilling the responsibility to support the truth each
one needs to remember that a curse has been pronounced on anyone who
preaches a perversion of the gospel (Gal. 1:6 - 9) which is the word
of truth (Eph. 1:13).
Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations and rebuke many
people." It does not appear to be an coincidence that this
immediately follows "out of Zion shall go forth the law. And the
word of the LORD from Jerusalem." It is indeed the word of God that
will judge us "in the last day" (Jn. 12:48 - 50) and "we will be
judged by the law of liberty" (Jas 2:12). Although these verses are
often applied to the final judgment, it should be remembered that
when Jesus spoke of "the last day," He, like Isaiah, was speaking
before the time of "the last day." We are judged by the word of the
LORD and the law of liberty according to whether or not we do what
His word, His law requires. In Matthew 7:24 - 27 those who hear and
do what Jesus has said will be judged to be wise and those who do
not do what He has said will be judged foolish. After the Day of
Pentecost, all who obey Him are judged recipients of "eternal
salvation" (Heb. 5:8 & 9). "...In every nation whoever fears Him and
works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:35). That
righteousness is revealed in the gospel (Romans 1:16 & 17). In that
the Lord who day by day adds to the number those who are being saved
(Acts 2:47), it is necessary to draw the conclusion that since
Pentecost mankind has been in the last days and the judging of the
nations has been and is taking place.
Certainly the New Testament rebukes many people. It rebukes every
sinner and all have sinned (Romans 3:23). When a sinner in any
nation takes to heart the rebuke of the word of God, repents and
determines to "walk in His paths" and is brought near by the blood
of Christ; Christ Himself is our peace who has made both one and
broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His
flesh the enmity ... so as to create in Himself one new man from the
two, thus making peace (Eph. 2:13 - 15). This is symbolized by
beating swords into plow shears and spears into pruning hooks.
By this time is should be obvious that the prophecy of Isaiah 2:1 -
5 is not about physical things, but rather about the future
spiritual government, kingdom or church which is the house of God.
It is not a prophecy foretelling the future of carnal nations. Those
from every nation who flow into the house of God, come under the
dominion of King Jesus and submit to His governing of them "shall
not lift up sword against" those from formerly enemy nations who
have found peace in Christ Himself through His blood. The enmity
between them has been abolished. "They shall not learn war anymore."
They are instructed: "if it be possible, as much as depends on you,
live peaceably with all men" (Ro. 12:18); "pursue the things which
make for peace" (Ro. 14:19); endeavor "to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3); "Be at peace among
yourselves" (1 Thess. 5:13); "pursue peace with all..." (Heb. 12:14)
and "seek peace and pursue it" (1 Peter 3:11). We need not look to
the future for what is referred to as "the peaceable kingdom. It is
here and has been here in fulfillment of Isaiah 2:1 - 5 since the
Day of Pentecost.
In the conclusion of Isaiah's prophecy the house of Israel is urged
to "walk in the light of the LORD." On the Day of Pentecost the
apostle Peter made the appeal: "...let all the house of Israel know
assuredly (or believe confidently) that God has made this Jesus,
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). This is a
plea for them to accept Christ as their king; submit to His
dominion; be governed by His word - His law; dwell in His house; be
at peace and "walk in the light of the LORD." It was "this Jesus"
who in John 12:46 had said, "I am come a light into the world, that
whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." "This Jesus"
also is the one who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Consider
also Matthew 7:13 & 14 and choose Jesus - the light, the way of
truth which leads to life. "Grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ" (John 1:17). ~
By Fred Shewmaker
From Expository Files
12.4; April 2005
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