2:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz.
Isaiah’s second prophecy was given not to the church, but to Judah and Jerusalem. Many amillennialists, pre-millennialists, post-millennialists, cults, and isms spiritualize this passage to eliminate Israel and replace this audience with the church. The church was a mystery which was not revealed in the Old Testament. Therefore, this could not be the church. Anyone who claims that this is the church is spiritualizing this passage and adding their human opinion to the Word of God.
2:2 In the future the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it,
Verses 2-4 give a description of the future Millennial Jerusalem. In the future during the Messianic Kingdom, Israel will possess all of the land from the Euphrates River in the north to the River of Egypt in the south. The twelve tribes will be divided differently from that of Joshua's Israel. The first seven tribes will be located sequentially from north to south. After the seventh tribe, the Millennial Temple will be built on the top of the highest mountain in the world. The other five tribes will be located south of the mountain.
The top of this mountain will contain a 50 mile square plateau. This 50 mile square plateau will be divided into three segments. The northern segment will be 20 X 50 miles. The center segment will be 20 x 50 miles. The southern section will be 10 x 50 miles.
The northern section of this plateau will contain the Millennial Temple. It will be the fourth and largest temple of Jewish history. It will be a mile square in dimension. This future Millennial Temple will be too large to fit in the present temple grounds. The rest of this temple area will contain living residents for the priests of Zadok.
The central section of the plateau will be occupied by the Tribe of Levi.
The city of Jerusalem will be located in the center of the southern section. The city will be 10 x 10 square miles. The two sides of Israel will be 20 x 20 miles. The sides areas will be used for growing food products for the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem.
During the Millennial Kingdom, a river will flow southward towards the temple. This Millennial River will split at the mountain. One fork of the river will flow into the Mediterranean Sea, while the other fork will flow eastward towards the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea will become alive. This new Dead Sea will become a major fishing industry of Israel (which is an impossibility at this present time). The Gentiles will be attracted to the New Jerusalem. They will flow to the New Jerusalem just as the river flows to the New Jerusalem. All Jews and Gentiles will stream to this mountain in order to worship together at this Millennial Temple.
Ezekiel 40-48 gives further details of this mountain and of the Millennial Temple.
2:3 many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards.” For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem.
During the Messianic Kingdom, Jews and Gentles from all over the world will desire to go up to the temple on the high mountain and learn more about God’s divine standards. They will want to learn spiritual truths. They will desire to learn Bible doctrine. They will desire to apply Bible doctrine. They will desire to walk in God's path. They will ask others to join them on their quest for divine knowledge.
Zion is Jerusalem, so Jerusalem will be the center of global instruction. New revelation from God will come from the New Jerusalem. Jehovah, not evil earthly kings, will issue global laws from Jerusalem.
2:4 He will judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
During the Messianic Kingdom, there will no longer be any war. The Prince of Peace will be in control. He will listen to the disputes of nations and make all final decisions. Nations will not spend their GNP (gross national product) on nuclear weapons. The United Nations engrave this verse on their statues, but the United Nations will never bring peace to the world. Only the Messiah will bring global peace. To accomplish this task, King Messiah must purge all of the evil people out of this world.
The prophet Micah repeats verses 2-4 in his prophetic writing. Joel 3:10 predicted that the opposite will happen during the Great Tribulation. Agricultural tools will be turned into weapons of war.
There are many biblically ignorant government officials who think that it is a good idea to disarm their nation. This is contrary to the Word of God. Jesus said, “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace …” (Luke 11:21). There can be no peace and safety without law and order. Law and order cannot happen unless the government can defend itself and enforce the law. Man is totally depraved and evil, so he will only respect power.
During the Messianic Kingdom, it will be safe to walk down the streets again. Unlocked doors will be the norm. There will be no more murderers, thieves, rapists, and child molesters. Men will be able to turn their weapons into farming equipment. Men will no longer train for war. There will be no standing armies. The Prince of Peace will be in control. He will rule with a rod of iron.
The United Nations will never be able to bring peace upon the world. They will bring in more dictatorships. There is no such thing as "the brotherhood of men." There are only two types of men. There are the "saints" and the "aints." There are God’s men and Satan’s men. Both cannot co-exist together at the same time. Good cannot exist with evil. One will have to exterminate the other. Evil cannot destroy good, but good can and will eventually destroy evil. The opposite viewpoint is taught in the satanic world system. During the Great Tribulation, the genocide of Christ-rejecters will begin. During the Millennial Kingdom, the world will be safe again.
2:5 O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light.
Isaiah 2:5-4:1 contrasts the future of Israel to the Israel of Isaiah's day. If future Gentiles of the Millennial Kingdom are going to walk in the Lord's guiding light, then should not the Jews of Isaiah's day do the same? During the Millennial Kingdom, truth overflowed from Jerusalem. In Isaiah's day, Jerusalem was the center of apostasy. In the Millennial Kingdom, God alone will be worshiped. In Isaiah's day, Jerusalem was worshiping many demonic idols. In the future Millennial Kingdom, there will be no more war. In Isaiah's day, Jerusalem was preparing for war.
2:6 Indeed, O Lord, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. For diviners from the east are everywhere; they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. Plenty of foreigners are around.
Jehovah returned to His court case. He began to make more accusations against Israel. Jehovah has abandoned His people because of idolatry. Gentile caravans from the east (Assyria and Babylon) had brought in many pagan religions which the Jews had assimilated into their culture. The Philistines had brought in other occultic religions from the west.
2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver; there is no end to their wealth. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.
These Gentile caravans came from Gentile nations who were economically wealthy and militarily strong. Israelite kings were not to multiply gold or horses. They were to look to God to provide their needs and protect them from their enemies.
2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the product of their own hands, what their own fingers have fashioned.
The Hebrew word for "worthless idols" is אֱלִילִ֑ים (elilem), meaning non-entities. These Gentile nations created idols of nothingness with their hands and worshiped them as gods. This is very similar to the religion of modern evolution. The evolutionists believe that nothing exploded into everything. Scientifically and mathematically, evolution is impossible, because 0 x 0 always equals zero.
2:9 Men bow down to them in homage, they lie flat on the ground in worship. Don’t spare them!
In verses 9-11, judgment is announced. Men bowed down to carved wood and stones and worshipped them as gods. According to the Mosaic Law, this was a capital offense.
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs, hide in the ground. Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, from his royal splendor!
Isaiah looked again to the future. During the Great Tribulation, idolaters will hide themselves in the rocky cliffs and caves to escape the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of Jehovah. Revelation 6 gives more detail on this prophetic event.
2:11 Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
The proud and arrogant men who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will be humiliated during the Great Tribulation.
2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, for all the high and mighty, for all who are proud—they will be humiliated;
Verses 12-21 describes the "day of judgment" which Israel will receive during the Great Tribulation. Jehovah is the Commander of the angelic army. He has planned a day of judgment called the Great Tribulation. During this time period, the high and mighty who will reject Christ will be humiliated. The man who thinks that he can rule by himself and without God will be humbled. Man wants it his way, so God will allow puny man to have it his way.
2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are so high and mighty, for all the oaks of Bashan;
Isaiah's Israel was trusting in her wealth from the trees of other nations. The cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan were some of the tallest trees in the world. Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation possess and arrogant attitude as high as these trees. These trees will be cut down and have a terrible fall. This metaphor represents the pride of man. God will cut these prideful men down to size. These prideful men will fall like the cedar trees of Lebanon and the oak trees of Bashan.
2:14 for all the tall mountains, for all the high hills,
Isaiah's Israel was trusting in demonic idols who were being worshiped in the mountains and hills. Those who reject Christ during the Great Tribulation will be as arrogant as the tallest mountains and the highest hills, but they will be brought down low. This metaphor represented that the government and society of Israel will be judged.
2:15 for every high tower, for every fortified wall,
Isaiah's Israel was trusting in their fortified cities for protection against their enemies.Those who reject the Messiah during the Great Tribulation will be as arrogant as the highest towers and the strongest fortified walls, but they will come crashing down. This metaphor represented that the military will be judged.
2:16 for all the large ships, for all the impressive ships.
Isaiah's Israel was trusting in their wealth from their shipping industry. Those who reject the Messiah during the Great Tribulation will be as proud and arrogant as those sailing on the largest and mightiest ships, but they will be sunk. This metaphor represented the fall of commerce and art.
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated, arrogant men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
In verses 17-21, Isaiah recorded in writing the end results of the coming judgments of the Great Tribulation. During the Great Tribulation, the Christ-rejecters will be brought down low, but Jehovah will be exalted. This metaphor represented the pride and pomp of man who will be be brought down low to the ground.
2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated.
When the Messianic Kingdom follows the Great Tribulation, then the idols of nothingness will be completely eliminated. This prophecy represented that all false religions will be eliminated.
2:19 They will go into caves in the rocky cliffs and into holes in the ground, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.
During the Great Tribulation, the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments will be so severe, that the Christ-rejecters will hide in caves and cliffs. Revelation 6 provides the details of this prophecy.
2:20 At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live,
During the Great Tribulation, Christ-rejecters will throw their silver and gold idols into caves where moles and bats live. Moles and bats are blind. Israel will worship blind and ugly creatures who cannot even see.
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs and the openings under the rocky overhangs, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.
During the Great Tribulation, the Christ-rejecters will hide themselves in cliffs and under rocky overhangs in order to escape the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments.
2:22 Stop trusting in human beings, whose life’s breath is in their nostrils. For why should they be given special consideration?
In Isaiah 2:22-3:15, Isaiah will blame the fall of Israel on Jewish leadership. The Lord Jesus Christ will also continually confirm this teaching.
Man's whole existence is built upon his ability to breathe. Man can feel the wind, but he cannot grasp it. If air is taken away from man, then he dies and withers away very quickly. God will judge the evil leaders of Israel by taking away the air in which they breathe.
During the Great Tribulation, no one should trust in atheists, agnostics, evolutionists, cults, isms, false prophets, false teachers, or any other human being. These so-called experts are just men who breathe the air that God gives them.
Man is merely just a vapor. His breath can be snuffed out at any time and rather quickly. Therefore, it is not wise to trust in such men. These Christ-rejecters should not receive any special consideration. Today, all a man has to do is put on a white coat and glasses and show up on television and everyone will believe him and call him an expert. Anyone who disagrees with the Word of God is not an expert, but a mere vapor that can be snuffed out at anytime.