THE KINGDOM ON EARTH **

[Doug]

Isaiah 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:2 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.

Here in Isaiah we have prophecy concerning the kingdom on earth.

The kingdom will be established in the last days. The last days are the days right before the kingdom on earth is established.

Last days appears in Acts 2:17. Pentecost was fulfilling prophecy in the last days. Jesus was preaching the gospel of the kingdom, the coming kingdom on earth; Israel rejected Christ and the kingdom was postponed by this dispensation of grace.

Last days appears in Hebrews 1:2. Hebrews was written to the remnant of Israel in the last days.

Last days appears in James 5:3. James is speaking to the remnant of Israel in the last days.

Last days appears in 2 Peter 3:3. Peter is speaking of the last days to the remnant of Israel.

Isaiah 2:3 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.

In the kingdom, Christ will reign from Jerusalem. The Gentile nations will come to learn His ways. The remnant of Israel will serve as priests in the kingdom (Exodus 19:6 Isaiah 61:6).

2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Christ will rule over the nations on earth.

 

[Randy Kluth]

The "Last Days" has to be taken in context, I think. It doesn't have to refer to the days *before* the coming of the Kingdom. In Isa 2, I think the "Last Days" refer to the actual Kingdom itself. It's like saying at the end the Kingdom will come. It is at that time, ie at the coming of the Kingdom, that a new age will begin, in which men from all nations will pursue the God of Israel. That is interesting because at the time of this prophecy, only Israel was God's People, and the idea of other nations joining Israel as God's People was relegated to a promise given to Abraham, far from being fulfilled.

When Christ comes back, he will have destroyed the armies of the Antichrist, and many nations will fall. However, the coming of Christ together with his Church will bring a new rule to the mortal world and to all nations. They will not longer be incited by Satan and influenced to fight internationally. There will be relative peace on earth, with the cause of the Gospel reigning supreme. Many nations will either be restored to Christianity or will find Christianity for the 1st time, eg Israel. Some nations may only pay lip service to Christ. But the difference from this age to the next will be palpable and obvious. Obviously, this is a Premil view of things.