Isaiah 2:1-5
The Mountain of the Lord
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
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.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Come, O house of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Matthew 24.36-44
The Day and the Hour
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Jesus is coming!
Today is the start of Advent, which is the season which marks the four Sundays before Christmas. Over these four weeks we remind ourselves of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus.
Some churches light candles on advent wreaths. People have used advent wreaths for about 500 years, but where they came from is lost in history, and what exactly the candles mean varies from church to church. For other churches, we just hang our gorgeous purple drapes and look forward to a mass of candles and a crib in a few weeks’ time.
But if we stop there and see advent as just a preparation for Christmas (as many do), then we're missing the whole point. Because advent is also about preparing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. And that's really important. Why?
Because as Christians our whole life here on earth needs to be lived in the context that there is something more. If we celebrate Christmas without anticipating the second coming, we truly miss the point.
If we leave Jesus in the manger, we are in danger of forgetting that he is also King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
St Paul said that if we have hope for this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
This life is just the prologue. This is just the introduction. This is just the warm-up act. There is a whole eternity of living that awaits us beyond our short span here - that's what we need to be anticipating, and that's what we need to be ready for.
We don't know when Jesus will return - it may be in another 100 years, or it may be in 100 days. Or 100 hours. And we need to be ready - in our understanding, in our thoughts, in our lives.
So today we find ourselves in the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah is a big book, some 66 chapters. It was written in about 700BC, when much of northern Palestine had been invaded by the Assyrians; and within a few generations the rest would be conquered and the Israelites carted off to exile in Babylon.
It's a book that speaks of God's judgement on his unfaithful people. But it also has prophetic passages that tell of his grace and his saving power. It's not an easy book, but if you can read it through - maybe in one of our newer translations, then it's worth the effort.
So, we go straight in at Chapter 2. Chapter 1 is about Israel's sin - you're a sinful nation, says God, loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers. You're in a mess, says God. You need sorting out. This is how it is now, in 700BC, as Isaiah writes.
And then comes Chapter 2 - this is how it will be in the last days. It's a before and after. Chapter 1—before; chapter 2— after. And as Christians we believe we are in those last days now.
The last days were ushered in when God broke into space and time and entered our world as a helpless baby in a grubby stable in Bethlehem. And those last days will culminate in Jesus returning in power and majesty - when his kingdom will be established, and his people led to peace and to eternal life with him.
We're in those last days now as we patiently wait for him to return and sort out the mess that the world has got itself into. In Advent we look forward to that return, that second coming of the Lord Jesus. So, when those last days are fulfilled, what will it look like? What does Isaiah tell us about God and his kingdom?
Three things: The kingdom will be exclusive, inclusive and transformative.
Exclusive
In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. (Isaiah 2:2)
How many times have you heard someone say: 'all religions lead to God' or 'We're all praying to the same God' or 'we'll all get to the same place in the end'. That there are many paths to the top of the mountain.
Well, one of the awkward things about Jesus Christ is that his claims are exclusive. Jesus said himself:
I am the way, the truth and the life - no-one comes to the father except by me.
And Isaiah doesn't mince his words either: v2
'In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills
The Lord's temple will be chief among the mountains. Our God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—is not just one option among many - his mountain towers over all others.
Now there may be elements of truth among many of the world religions. But the one who saves is the one living God, revealed to mankind in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus Christ, saviour of the world.
Peter was equally sure:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
This is awkward, because we may well have friends of other faiths who do not hold that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. They follow Mohammed, or they seek God in other places and through other prophets and teachers. And it sounds terribly arrogant to say that we're right and they are wrong. But the bottom line is that if Jesus is God, as the scriptures testify, then he must have the last word. He cannot share his throne with others.
So, we seek to introduce our non-Christian friends to Jesus, not by fierce argument or insult or browbeating, but by the impact of changed lives empowered by his Spirit, and by a gentle word here and there as the Spirit leads. Our words and our lifestyles need to be in harmony. As an old friend of mine used to say, we may be the only bible our friend reads.
So the kingdom of God is exclusive. But secondly it is also
Inclusive.
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. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” (Isaiah 2:3 )
I'm surprised when I hear of faiths that are not interested in inviting others in. For example, some orthodox Jews believe that only those born Jewish can be saved, so there is no point sharing what they have with others. But that's not Isaiah's viewpoint:
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. (Isaiah 2:2-3)
Jesus is for the whole world. He is for all the nations. And one day that will be clear for all to see. Our God may be jealous for his supremacy over all other so-called 'gods', but he is a God whose arms are open wide for all who seek him. No one will be excluded from finding salvation and peace in God through Christ:
Come unto me, said Jesus, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 )
God our Saviour, wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:3)
And what is needed for this to happen? simply,
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 )
Whoever you are, wherever you've come from, whatever you have done in your life, Jesus is for you. So, the Kingdom is inclusive. And finally, the kingdom is
Transformative.
God will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:3 )
Whose teaching will the nations listen to? Will it be Xi Jinping or Donald Trump or Keir Starmer or the secretary General of the UN - or the TUC or the CBI or the BBC or the Sun? No - it will be the word of the Lord.
He will teach his people his ways, and they will learn to be obedient to him and to walk in his paths. And his kingdom will bring in a reign of peace. Swords will become ploughshares; spears will be turned into pruning hooks.
Our world is a pretty broken place, but usually someone is trying to work for peace. The UN tries to broker ceasefires, but there's a fragility, and peace is often very short-lived. But the peace that God brings is of a different magnitude. When Christ reigns in his kingdom,
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
That's real peace. Any other sort of peace will only ever be an uneasy truce. Worldly peace is often fragile - look how terrible things can be when the lid is lifted. Look at Rwanda. Look at former Yugoslavia. Look at Syria. At Sudan.
But God's peace is a heart-peace that settles disputes once and for all and removes the desire for conflict. That's real peace, lasting peace. Eternal peace. And how can that be?
Because He will change us as individuals. And of course, this process has begun already - as we allow his Spirit and his Word to dwell in our hearts. We soak up his word in the scriptures, and we learn from him, v3 so that we may walk in his paths. and our lives begin to turn around from our old ways into ways that please Him.
How powerful is that.
So, we've had a glimpse of a future Kingdom under the rule of God that is exclusive, but also inclusive and transformative. But although it's begun, with that birth in Bethlehem that we can't wait to celebrate, it's not quite here yet. And that's what we ponder in Advent.
So how then shall we live in Advent - and in these last days? Well, what does Isaiah say?
Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. (v5)
Let us walk in the knowledge that something better is just over the horizon. That he may return at any moment - so let us be ready to welcome him. Let us be watchful, expectant, patient and hopeful. And let us pray for the second coming. Let us pray for that daily.
For that is what scripture itself exhorts us to do: Here's how our bible ends - the very last two verses:
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21 )