Isaiah 2:2 - 4

[AlexMiller1984]

I'm working through Isaiah again but this time with a good dispensational friend who, obviously takes a very different approach than I do to this text. On his view, the "mountain of the LORD" prophecy is fulfilled in the millennium since there is no other time in history when the nations are flocking to the mountain/temple, and since he rejects a "spiritualization" of the text, he doesn't accept that this prophecy is fulfilled throughout the church age. Additionally, in his view, this church-age view fails to explain how the Lord judges between nations.

I feel justified in looking at the mountain/temple as the church since Hebrews 12 defines the church as Mt. Zion, to which the nations have been flocking for millennia. As to the Lord settling disputes between peoples and nations, I'm not sure exactly how to think about this. I suppose one could say that as the church applies Jesus' message, disputes are settled, but this mediation is not clear in the text.

Against my friend's view, I can understand the Lord deciding disputes between nations/peoples in the millennial kingdom, but I can't understand the peaceful ending of Isa. 2.4 when you have some final rebellion and battle at the end of the millennium. Of course, there's the difficulty of accepting the reality of a physical millennial kingdom at all, but that's another story for another time.

Are there any helpful reformed treatments of this passage that would deal well with these questions?

 

[EvanF]

Against my friend's view, I can understand the Lord deciding disputes between nations/peoples in the millennial kingdom, but I can't understand the peaceful ending of Isa. 2.4 when you have some final rebellion and battle at the end of the millennium. Of course, there's the difficulty of accepting the reality of a physical millennial kingdom at all, but that's another story for another time.

From an amillennial standpoint, this poses no great problem. It occurs at the end together with the final judgment of all things, part of which will certainly be judgment for all sinful acts of war, crimes against peoples, and, I think, even national sins. I don't understand why it poses a problem for pre-millennials either. They don't believe that the kingdom must conclude prior to the second coming and the final judgment can be viewed as the end of the kingdom. Only post-millennials might tie themselves to an idea that this must occur before the second coming. Or am I mistaken?

 

[AlexMiller1984]

To clarify, are you saying that on this view, the nations come to the church throughout the church age, and that the Lord judging between nations and peoples (Isa. 2.4) is fulfilled in the great white throne judgment?

 

[EvanF]

To clarify, are you saying that on this view, the nations come to the church throughout the church age, and that the Lord judging between nations and peoples (Isa. 2.4) is fulfilled in the great white throne judgment?

That makes sense to me. But also, within the church, there is certainly reconciliation between those who according to the flesh should be at enmity - for example, the children of Israel and the nations, including even such cursed enemies as Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites.

 

[MW]

I would beware of spiritualising the passage. The text itself gives internal markers for seeing something that transcends "place." This is no ordinary geographical mountain. It picks up on the language of Ps. 68 where there is a perceived competition between the hills, bearing in mind that they were used as high places for worship. In this light Zion is a symbolic, eschatological reality pointing to the heavenly order. That is not spiritualising. It is still very much within the realm of humanity and its worship of the divine in this world. The nations come to Zion to receive the law of Jehovah and to walk in His ways. This is clearly fulfilled as Gentiles embrace the gospel and submit to the teaching of Christ. They come willingly, not as conquered peoples; and it institutes a change from war-like conquest, to a peaceful and industrious reign. We also have the correlating fact that the word and law of Jehovah goes out from Jerusalem, something that was literally fulfilled. But as Isaiah proceeds it will become evident that "Jerusalem" itself is split in two -- on the one hand a sinful object of wrath, on the other hand a restored object of mercy. This, of course, is what Paul was drawing on with his two Jerusalems.

 

[paranymph]

Also, remember that Isa 2 introduces "Zion." It contrasts with the unfaithful city of ch. 1. Trace Zion throughout Isaiah and you see that it takes on a dimension beyond the literal Jerusalem. By 65–66 we are in the new heavens & earth. Gal 4 also helps us to understand Zion.

The church on earth is one step in the fulfillment of these prophecies. The Gentiles are being gathered into the kingdom and the law goes forth. However, we are not finished. The day will come when God will judge all the nations of the earth.