Thursday, June 21, 2012

Some of Isaiah's Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 2)

Chapter 2 of Isaiah covers two distinct events.

First, a glorification of Zion and peace. The world will come to Zion, be humbled by Zion, and look to Zion for instruction. It contains a number of phrases that are famous - they shall beat their spears into pruning hooks and their spears into plowshares and man will not train for war. This will happen in the "last days".

A lot of this has already happened since Christ. Christ glorified Zion. The nations of all the world have been in a process of being humbled by Zion through Christ and looking to Zion, through Christ, for instruction.

As for warfare, wars have stopped on account of Christ. A great example in history is how the Vikings became a lot more peaceful and sedentary after they took on Christianity. Another great famous example is when during WWI at Christmas, both the Allied and German armies halted hostilities for a few days to sing Christmas songs and even play soccer in no-man's land. Eventually, the battle resumed, but the power of Christ - to make human warfare obsolete - was nevertheless evident.

Obviously, not all war is obsolete. There still is plenty around. But I think the first part of Isaiah 2 sets out a goal, a mission, a power, a process, an effect - all of Christ - that will gradually unfold until eventually all human warfare ceases.

About the "last days", the Apostle Peter later interprets the phrase from a prophecy in Joel to mean that he himself was living in the "last days" shortly after Pentecost. (Acts 2:17). Therefore, I would caution against interpreting "last days" to refer to strictly eschatological (end times) stuff. I think it seems to mean anything after the Resurrection.


The second portion of Isaiah 2 deals with more concretely end times stuff as it discusses the day of the lord. Again, it is interesting that the beating the swords to plowshares comes before the day of the lord, at least as laid out within Isaiah 2.

As laid out in Isaiah 2, the day of the Lord will be a day when the reality of God will be revealed to all mankind. This chapter does not speak of violence or punishment, but rather all people will feel God's presence. This will have two effects, they will throw out their idols and they will hide in fear. It does not say that anyone will die.

In conjunction with the first portion of Isaiah 2, it implicitly will result in people beating their swords into plowshares.

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