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”And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 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.” Is. 2:2-3
Isaiah chapter two is a great chapter which speaks to our times. I suggest you read the entire chapter. You will see both the great future of the Church and what happens when nations forsake God. In many ways it describes what is happening in Canada, the US, and other nations today.
The term the “last days” confuses some [but not you if you’ve read the article When Are The Last Days?]. Basically, Isaiah was looking forward to the New Covenant era under which we live. He was using Old Testament language [the only language he had] to describe New Testament reality. Those of you who have taken Covenants are familiar with this concept.
In New Testament language the “mountain of the Lord’s house” refers to the Kingdom of God. “House of God,” “Zion,” and “Jerusalem” are all references to the New Covenant Church. [You can study it out for yourself or take Covenants.]
So what is the vision that God gave Isaiah? In the New Covenant era the Kingdom of God would be established above all kingdoms. It is the new world-wide empire. As Daniel foresaw, after Rome, there would never again be a physical world-wide empire. The time of the spiritual Kingdom of God has come. It has replaced all other empires [physical and spiritual] and it will continue to grow until the whole earth is full of the knowledge and glory of God.
We see the nations flowing into the Kingdom of God. Western nations are as advanced and blessed as they are because they have submitted to and were built upon the principles of the Word of God. The conflict we have today is because we are abandoning our Christian roots and therefore beginning to reap the effects of the curse [see the last part of Is. 2]. Nevertheless, Isaiah, through the Spirit, sees a time when the majority of the nations will flow into the Kingdom of God, i.e. will submit to God’s ways and purposes.
I should make a note here, although if you have understood the Master Life course, it is probably unnecessary. The Kingdom of God and the Church are not the same thing. The Church is a part of the Kingdom of God even as the nations are to be a part of it. The Kingdom of God is the total rulership of God in every area of life. Certainly the Church has the responsibility to teach the nations the ways of God, but it does not have the right to dominate or control the nations. Both the Church and the nations have their own sphere of authority and both are to be submitted to the rule and authority of Christ.
Next we see many people, as well as nations, coming into the Kingdom of God and going to the Church to be taught by God, through His Church, in the ways of God. We see that it is not only an intellectual knowledge, but they desire to be taught because they practically want to walk in God’s way.
It is a tragedy of our times is that in many cases the Church has not taught the Word of God, but the world system with a “Christian” gloss. Then we wonder why it is ineffective and people aren’t streaming into the Church. The Church must strip herself of her thinly veiled humanism and begin teaching and living the Word of God alone. Until she is willing to stand, in love, upon the Truth of God’s Word Isaiah’s vision will not come to pass. Hungry people in the world are not interested in a religious version of the world. Someone has said, “As goes the Church, so goes the world.” The condition of the world is an eloquent statement on the condition of the Church.
The Word of God is the standard by which all things are judged. The time is coming when this will be recognized and practiced. The result [in verse 4] will be peace on earth. How long it takes us to get there depends on how long we insist on our own ways above God’s ways. It depends on how long we trade Truth for sensationalism. And it depends on when we are willing to do whatever it takes to establish the Kingdom of God.
10 million people since 1950 have been martyred. They were serious about their faith. God sees and watches. Their blood is not spilt in vain. The Kingdom of God is growing and will continue to grow. Where do we stand in all of this? Are we pursing God's kingdom or only the kingdom of man in God’s name?
For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.
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