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Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 10:31 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Trust Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 2:1-5 (NASB).
The Last Days (vv. 1-2)
What are “the last days”? Typically, they refer to the Messianic age, which began with Jesus’ birth, his life and ministry on the earth, his resurrection, his ascension back to heaven, his sending of his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his followers, and the birth of the church, the body of Christ. They include the church age and the judgments of God on the earth at the end of time, culminating in the return of our Lord for his bride, the wedding of the Lamb to his bride, and the millennial reign of Christ on the earth.
So, understanding that, we must interpret the next verses in that context. In other words, in these last days before the return of Christ, the house (temple) of the Lord (of God) is Jesus Christ and his church (Jn. 2:19-21; 2 Co. 6:16). It is no longer a physical temple in a physical city, i.e. Jerusalem. In fact, the physical city of Jerusalem is now of Hagar, because she is still in slavery with her children, i.e. the vast majority of the physical nation of Israel rejects Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord, and thus they are still in slavery to sin, i.e. they are just like the Gentiles of old. We who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are the heavenly Jerusalem, and we are now the children of promise (See: Gal. 4:21-31).
In the Old Testament and in the Gospels, the mountain on which sat the temple of God was Mount Zion. Zion is now a term used in reference to describe both Jesus Christ and his church. As the temple of God sat on Mount Zion, so Jesus Christ is the foundation on which his church (the temple of God) rests. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone on which his church is built. So, when this passage of scripture speaks of nations and peoples streaming to the mountain of the house of the Lord, what (or who) they are streaming to is Jesus Christ. This means people from many nations are coming to faith in Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior.
He (Jesus Christ) will be (has been) established as superior to all other gods, and things that are worshiped, and also places of worship (Ref: mountains as high places of worship). He will be (has been) exalted above the heavens (See Heb. 7:26). In fact, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…” (See Ph. 2:9). And, all nations will stream (run) to him – to his gospel of salvation – people from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues (cf. Rev. 7:9-10).
In His Paths (v. 3, 5)
Not only are many people from across the globe coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and will yet believe on him to be Savior and Lord of their lives, before he returns, but also many of them are telling others about Jesus Christ, and they are inviting them to believe in Jesus as the one who can deliver them out of slavery to sin and who can give them the hope of eternal life with God. Yet, they are not teaching that false grace gospel which reduces the gospel of Jesus Christ to a mere escape from hell and the hope of heaven when they die. They are teaching a gospel of salvation which changes people’s lives, i.e. which turns them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:16-18).
How do I know that? Because these witnesses for the gospel of Jesus Christ are not merely introducing the people to Jesus as their Messiah, but they are leading the people to be taught from the Lord concerning His ways, not just so they will know them, but so they will walk IN them. For, Jesus died, not just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die, but he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He didn’t die merely to forgive us our sins, but to eradicate sin from our lives. Through faith in Jesus Christ we die with Christ to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23).
So, what are His Ways and His Paths we must walk (conduct our lives) in? We can read about them particularly in the New Testament, as taught by Jesus Christ and his NT apostles. Basically, Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self) we will lose them (die in our sins), but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25). Coming to faith in Jesus Christ means we leave our lives of sin behind us, we are born anew of the Spirit of God, and we put on our new lives in Christ to be lived to his righteousness. Our lives now belong to God. Jesus is Lord (owner-master) of our lives, and we are his bond-slaves to do his will.
No More War (v. 4)
Can you imagine a world without war, killing, murdering of innocents, lies, deceit, betrayal, hatred, violence, and the shedding of blood, etc.? Won’t that be wonderful when Jesus comes to take us to be with him forever and we no longer suffer? Pain is no more. Sin no longer exists. No one hurts anyone else. We live at peace. And, Jesus wipes all the tears from our eyes. That will be awesome! I cry just thinking about that time when I am truly rescued from this earthly body and this sin-sick world, and I don’t hurt anymore. There will then be no more sadness or pain, but only rejoicing.
Yet, while we still live on this earth, and our bodies are given over to suffering, we can still rejoice. We can still be at peace because joy and peace are not dependent on our external circumstances. I need to be regularly reminded of that one myself. True joy and peace can take place in our lives despite the difficulties which go on in our lives on a daily basis. Turmoil may exist all around us, and yet we can be at peace because we know that our God/Jesus Christ is absolutely in control over all things, and that he has a plan and a purpose for it all, and that he will bring good out of it in our lives. We can trust him, knowing that, even though we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is one, and that everything in this life is temporal. It won’t last forever. One day this will all be forgotten and we will be with our Lord forever, and no one will ever hurt another ever again. Amen!
Trust Him / An Original Work / August 15, 2012
Based off Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be of courage;
Be strong and take heart today.
Do not fear when foes attack you.
Trust in God always.
He will rescue you in times
Of trouble and distress,
He’ll comfort you in all ways
As you trust Him with your life today.
Trust in Him always.
God is with you; He’ll not leave you.
You can always count on Him.
He will fulfill all He promised
Before you began.
His word teaches you
All that you need for this life.
Let Him lead you. Open your heart;
Let his truth envelope you today.
Listen and obey.
Love your Lord God; follow Jesus.
Repent of your sins today.
Make Him your Lord and your master;
Trust Him and obey.
Follow Him where’er He leads you
In His service; be His witness,
Telling others about Jesus’
Price that He did pay
For your sins always.
The Last Days (vv. 1-2)
The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
What are “the last days”? Typically, they refer to the Messianic age, which began with Jesus’ birth, his life and ministry on the earth, his resurrection, his ascension back to heaven, his sending of his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his followers, and the birth of the church, the body of Christ. They include the church age and the judgments of God on the earth at the end of time, culminating in the return of our Lord for his bride, the wedding of the Lamb to his bride, and the millennial reign of Christ on the earth.
So, understanding that, we must interpret the next verses in that context. In other words, in these last days before the return of Christ, the house (temple) of the Lord (of God) is Jesus Christ and his church (Jn. 2:19-21; 2 Co. 6:16). It is no longer a physical temple in a physical city, i.e. Jerusalem. In fact, the physical city of Jerusalem is now of Hagar, because she is still in slavery with her children, i.e. the vast majority of the physical nation of Israel rejects Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord, and thus they are still in slavery to sin, i.e. they are just like the Gentiles of old. We who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are the heavenly Jerusalem, and we are now the children of promise (See: Gal. 4:21-31).
In the Old Testament and in the Gospels, the mountain on which sat the temple of God was Mount Zion. Zion is now a term used in reference to describe both Jesus Christ and his church. As the temple of God sat on Mount Zion, so Jesus Christ is the foundation on which his church (the temple of God) rests. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone on which his church is built. So, when this passage of scripture speaks of nations and peoples streaming to the mountain of the house of the Lord, what (or who) they are streaming to is Jesus Christ. This means people from many nations are coming to faith in Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior.
He (Jesus Christ) will be (has been) established as superior to all other gods, and things that are worshiped, and also places of worship (Ref: mountains as high places of worship). He will be (has been) exalted above the heavens (See Heb. 7:26). In fact, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…” (See Ph. 2:9). And, all nations will stream (run) to him – to his gospel of salvation – people from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues (cf. Rev. 7:9-10).
In His Paths (v. 3, 5)
And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Not only are many people from across the globe coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and will yet believe on him to be Savior and Lord of their lives, before he returns, but also many of them are telling others about Jesus Christ, and they are inviting them to believe in Jesus as the one who can deliver them out of slavery to sin and who can give them the hope of eternal life with God. Yet, they are not teaching that false grace gospel which reduces the gospel of Jesus Christ to a mere escape from hell and the hope of heaven when they die. They are teaching a gospel of salvation which changes people’s lives, i.e. which turns them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:16-18).
How do I know that? Because these witnesses for the gospel of Jesus Christ are not merely introducing the people to Jesus as their Messiah, but they are leading the people to be taught from the Lord concerning His ways, not just so they will know them, but so they will walk IN them. For, Jesus died, not just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die, but he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He didn’t die merely to forgive us our sins, but to eradicate sin from our lives. Through faith in Jesus Christ we die with Christ to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23).
So, what are His Ways and His Paths we must walk (conduct our lives) in? We can read about them particularly in the New Testament, as taught by Jesus Christ and his NT apostles. Basically, Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self) we will lose them (die in our sins), but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25). Coming to faith in Jesus Christ means we leave our lives of sin behind us, we are born anew of the Spirit of God, and we put on our new lives in Christ to be lived to his righteousness. Our lives now belong to God. Jesus is Lord (owner-master) of our lives, and we are his bond-slaves to do his will.
No More War (v. 4)
And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
Can you imagine a world without war, killing, murdering of innocents, lies, deceit, betrayal, hatred, violence, and the shedding of blood, etc.? Won’t that be wonderful when Jesus comes to take us to be with him forever and we no longer suffer? Pain is no more. Sin no longer exists. No one hurts anyone else. We live at peace. And, Jesus wipes all the tears from our eyes. That will be awesome! I cry just thinking about that time when I am truly rescued from this earthly body and this sin-sick world, and I don’t hurt anymore. There will then be no more sadness or pain, but only rejoicing.
Yet, while we still live on this earth, and our bodies are given over to suffering, we can still rejoice. We can still be at peace because joy and peace are not dependent on our external circumstances. I need to be regularly reminded of that one myself. True joy and peace can take place in our lives despite the difficulties which go on in our lives on a daily basis. Turmoil may exist all around us, and yet we can be at peace because we know that our God/Jesus Christ is absolutely in control over all things, and that he has a plan and a purpose for it all, and that he will bring good out of it in our lives. We can trust him, knowing that, even though we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is one, and that everything in this life is temporal. It won’t last forever. One day this will all be forgotten and we will be with our Lord forever, and no one will ever hurt another ever again. Amen!
Trust Him / An Original Work / August 15, 2012
Based off Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be of courage;
Be strong and take heart today.
Do not fear when foes attack you.
Trust in God always.
He will rescue you in times
Of trouble and distress,
He’ll comfort you in all ways
As you trust Him with your life today.
Trust in Him always.
God is with you; He’ll not leave you.
You can always count on Him.
He will fulfill all He promised
Before you began.
His word teaches you
All that you need for this life.
Let Him lead you. Open your heart;
Let his truth envelope you today.
Listen and obey.
Love your Lord God; follow Jesus.
Repent of your sins today.
Make Him your Lord and your master;
Trust Him and obey.
Follow Him where’er He leads you
In His service; be His witness,
Telling others about Jesus’
Price that He did pay
For your sins always.
