Isaiah chapter 2
The evangelism of the entire world. Judah’s depraved condition. The day of reckoning.
THE EVANGELISM OF THE ENTIRE WORLD
VERSE 1. This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
NIV translation. This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. We see this section as a prophecy of the evangelization of the whole world, beginning in Jerusalem.
VERSE 2. It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
NLT translation. In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
The Old Testament foresees Gentiles coming to faith in the One God of Israel and bringing gifts to Jerusalem. Here are the key Bible verses about this »
And in our day, the Lord Jesus Christ calls us Christians to take his Gospel to the whole world. Here are the key Bible verses about this »
Sadly, most Christians are profoundly adverse to the ministry of evangelism.
In the last days. Biblical authors use the phrase “in the latter days.” In some cases it means “the present day.” But in other cases, it means “the future” or “The End of Days.” Read more »
the mountain of the Lord’s house. This probably refers to the temple in Jerusalem.
most important place on earth. The most important place on earth. Jerusalem is always the apple of God’s eye. But now that fact is evident to everybody on earth.
people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People throughout the world will come to faith in the One God of Israel. They will stream to Jerusalem to worship with Jewish people.
This takes place at the temple in Jerusalem. Presumably it has been built by this point in the future.
VERSE 3. Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law shall go out of Zion, and the LORD’s word from Jerusalem.
NLT translation. People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.
KJV translation. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
many people. That is, people from many nations. Many unbelievers will come to faith in the One God. Multitudes of non-believers will wish to become believers. Millions will wish to convert.
Come ye, and let us go up. There will be a massive movement of unbelieving Gentiles. They will come to the Jewish people to join their faith.
Those unbaptized Gentiles need believers skilled in the ministry of evangelism. They need believers to explain the faith to them and lead them to convert.
mountain of the LORD. This is an allusion to Jerusalem.
Imagine Gentiles throughout the world traveling to the nation of Israel to become Jewish.
Or Gentiles throughout the world finding Jewish believers in the local synagogue and ask to become Jewish.
the house of the God of Jacob. Some Christians see themselves, and not the Jewish people, as the heroes of this verse. They see it fulfilled by their own ministry of evangelism. They feel that Christians, not Jewish people, will trigger the End of Days.
he will teach us of his ways. After coming to faith, these newly-believing Gentiles will need to be taught the ways of discipleship.
They will be like dry sponges, eager to suck up any authentic teaching they can find. There is a great need for believers who are trained in the ministry of discipleship.
we will walk in his paths. These new believers will wish to conform their lives to godliness. They will be eager to be trained. They will be eager for training in the ways of discipleship.
Again, we see the urgent need for believers who are versed in the ministry of discipleship.
out of Zion shall go forth the law. That is, the teaching of the LORD God will go out from Zion.
Jewish believers will offer discipleship training to all the people of the world. They will disciple people throughout the entire world in walking with God.
Unquestionably, this will be the most massive outreach in the history of the world.
And it will be accomplished by the tiniest handful of people, the Jewish people. They have never numbered more than a little sliver of the world’s population.
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. The Jewish people will lead the entire world in learning the Word of the Lord, the Holy Scriptures.
The LORD God has been preparing them for this, as his unique people of the Holy Scriptures, since the time of Abraham.
VERSE 4. He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples. 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.
NLT translation. The LORD will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.
beat their swords into plowshares. This verse is where this famous expression comes from.
When massive numbers of people come to faith, their whole society changes. This verse describes the end of violence.
Beating swords into plowshares is the reverse of Joel 3:10:
Joel 3:10. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’
JUDAH’S DEPRAVED CONDITION
VERSE 5. House of Jacob, come, and let’s walk in the light of the LORD.
let’s walk in the light of the LORD. It was time for Jacob to stop doing evil. It was time for them to start doing good.
VERSE 6. For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.
VERSE 7. Their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures. Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.
VERSE 8. Their land also is full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
VERSE 9. Man is brought low, and mankind is humbled; therefore don’t forgive them.
VERSE 10. Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty.
Enter into the rock. People will be so afraid that they will hide in caves.
the glory of his majesty. Even though Judah had fallen into a depraved condition, the LORD will still be glorified.
VERSE 11. The lofty looks of man will be brought low, the arrogance of men will be bowed down, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
that day. That is, the Day of the LORD.
THE DAY OF RECKONING
VERSE 12. For there will be a day of the LORD of Hosts for all that is proud and arrogant, and for all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low:
NIV translation. The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled),
VERSE 13. for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the oaks of Bashan,
VERSE 14. for all the high mountains, for all the hills that are lifted up,
VERSE 15. for every lofty tower, for every fortified wall,
VERSE 16. for all the ships of Tarshish, and for all pleasant imagery.
VERSE 17. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the arrogance of men shall be brought low; and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
arrogance of men. Even the most arrogant of people will be crushed like dust.
VERSE 18. The idols shall utterly pass away.
VERSE 19. Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
VERSE 20. In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats,
VERSE 21. to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
VERSE 22. Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?
ISAIAH
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, True Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.